Accounts of a Midguardian Valkyrie
by kallmered
Summary: Siggy wasn't born of Midgard, but she was raised there. She grew up and has a promising career in archaeology when she is tossed into the the Avengers' fold to observe and report. When the trickster god nudges too hard, she's forced to question all she knew about herself. She's burned all who got too close, except for the god of lies. Revised and updated.
1. Chapter 1

How to pronounce the heroine's name is Sig-rune or Sig-roon. It's ancient Scandinavian/Icelandic and means "Victory run" and/or "Victory secret" depending on the translation.

OOO

Siggy entered the elevator in Stark's Tower with a sense of dread as a she lugged an old university duffle bag of her clothing alongside a huge rolling fortress for her books and laptops. She only barely knew why she was here which was by what she'd gotten from the official orders she'd received on her desk at the university a week ago.

'_Okay, well, slightly scary looking orders', _Sig reminded herself. Said orders told her that she was needed within the group's interactions, monitoring with the eyes she'd been taught to use, and give those reports to Fury, himself. She would assess the interactions of the team to be sure all was "in the norm" he'd said, pointedly using anthro-jargon.

She had, and did now, roll her eyes at the sad attempt of delving into her happy-place for her cooperation. Ignoring the fact that "in the norm" was not something you could exactly connect to the Avengers nor to add in a control to bouce a theory, it had nearly worked. Nearly.

Sigrün did not understand why _she_ was needed in the first place. Wouldn't a therapist or a social worker be able to handle this? She'd already asked the very same thing of the order's contact, Agent Hill, enough times to be sure the tall brunette wanted to shank her and leave her for dead in a university trash bin.

Siggy wasn't even a goddamn cultural anthropologist, which was the only major of research or study she'd have turned to for this team besides a group of goddamn shrinks.

She had absolutely no reason to be working with anyone living or breathing. Hell she was barely an anthropologist at all! She was a glorified coroner, a forensic analyst of the most elite kind; a biological anthropologist with a strong, separate degree in archaeology. Which led her to believe it was actually her secretive background and not her profession that had guided his insane push for her to help out…and it was certainly a push, she remembered with a frown.

Although she did have her doubts on the reasoning, she was itching to test her metal with research she'd never been given the funding for. With her anthropological history (not mentioning the dead folks), impressive marks and ultimately her heritage, Fury had sourced Siggy to look for patterns among his team and try to make links in places no one would normally look, while focusing on the situation without judgment or (and here was the big one to wick a psych out) no reason to incite a change or new outlook to the subjects of observation.

They didn't mention- in the paperwork at least- that she needed to find "pin-points" as Fury called it. This could all become a huge paper for her, if she wished….and finally there was the bone he'd been dangling over the conversation.

Who wouldn't read about the impressive Avengers in a close-up anthropological observation? So many would flock to the droll archive she could write up in an hour. She'd bring merit to the subtle, yet driven Anthropological community and also renew pride in some of her peers who feared they might be a dying breed.

Only thing was, it was important for her focus on the human aspect…as it were. Siggy nearly laughed hysterically with her back upon the wall of the elevator. She was basically put there, as the mediator to a problem that normal psych professionals would hang themselves out for.

The reason for her being there in the first place was summed when she'd first met Stark in the 'interview' that was staged, even though she'd already been chosen. Tony, Barton and Romanoff were there with, of course, Fury himself.

Basically, Stark's theory was that S.H.E.I.L.D chose her for the known stereotype of the Anthro major…"I know you Anthro nerds." He'd said as he fiddled with his sunglasses. "You have tattoos and you were a functional alcoholic…oh you'll fit right in."

She'd shrugged a shoulder at that because it was true enough; at least for her. It was hard to make certain ethical judgment calls she'd made and have to stay sober after the fact. As for the tats she _liked_ them damnit and one was a birthright.

But Siggy knew why she was really here. They'd brought Loki back to Midguard_, Or earth to silly mortals_, she thought. She had a feeling that was a big reason why she was here in the first place and it really was not for her or her background, though it gave a pseudo convenient excuse.

Siggy had a few non-mortal advantages, granted to her by her Valkyrie mother, Brynhild's heritage. Other than that, she was on her own with the Avengers troop. She had no grand illusions of leading bands of Valkyrie into battle on horseback, searching for Einherjar to battle for them during Ragnarok…But she kept that little detail to herself completely, despite the fact she dreamed of it once a year.

She was giggling happily to herself when the doors opened and she saw the entirety of the Avengers focus in on her. She about died…

"Um…Hallo." She muttered with a weak wave.

Stark lifted his hand behind the bar and hollered, "What will you have Siggy? Obviously everyone heard you were coming, and you know who we are." That was the introduction.

At that she smirked and answered his question. "Whiskey and diet." She spat easily. When she received an eyebrow or two at how she was obviously did _not_ need a diet, she shrugged and dragged her light clothing bag and weighted-one full of two battle-ready laptops and books. "What? My aunt gave me diet as a kid and I don't like normal soda."

When Steve asked what "diet cola" tasted like, she bee-lined and dropped her bags by a set of beautiful leather couches. "You don't need to avoid the sugar, Cap. That's about all you need to know. Love the good stuff." Sigrün said and immediately curled up into the corner of a leather couch pillow and made herself at home. She _adored_ leather…the feel, the smell…It made her feel homey and at ease.

The redhead Natasha brought her the whiskey and smirked. "I never thought I'd see you again, Agent Romanoff." Sigrün said smartly.

Widow smirked and shrugged. "I didn't really have any doubts…you hold your own. Snappy, but its always good to have some spunk." She gave Siggy a pointed look and whispered, "Especially now that you'll need it. We happen to have a situation...in route as we speak. Though this is more long-term."

Sigrün frowned. "Serious? I haven't even had a sip yet!" she whispered.

Natasha lifted a single impeccable eyebrow and immediately raised her own vodka tonic. As they clinked glasses, that was the sign to begin business.

OOO

Loki arrived with Thor, but at a huge disadvantage, he was sure. The trickster spotted the members of the Avengers easily around the area. Stark was behind the bar, America-man was seated in a stool close-by, the hulk-man-doctor was fiddling in the middle of the room with his back to a fire, near an unfamiliar woman with a drink and a set of baggage to her right. Romanoff was seated on a smaller adjacent to the stranger in deep conversation. Loki imagined the Hawk was somewhere above.

He frowned, that this was his punishment- to stay within the mortal world of Midguard- like Thor had done. A fate worse than death Loki imagined. It seemed a boring situation altogether from the look of it, and he cared not for the mortals.

Suddenly his brother or "not-brother" he tried to remind himself, nearly dragged him to the middle of the room and shoved him next to the unfamiliar female on the leather couch. She blissfully didn't give him any attention, but he saw the Widow's venomous eyes flicker to him in warning...

At that, Loki looked to the woman two feet from him and took her in, just to annoy the Widow woman. He dared not do more or he'd be on the receiving end of a hulken beast attack…he shuddered at the thought and his gaze flew to the man nearby with a bit of anxiety, then back to the woman.

She had two sets of electronics before her. One of them was set up on the short table before them, which looked to have thousands of words open. It seemed to him like a book. The other had a semi-blank page, which the woman was able to alter as she pleased with deft fingers that danced across the device as she listened to the Spider assassin.

The woman herself had deep copper hair that was pinned haphazardly to the back of her head. Massive came to mind due to the sheer volume the nest took up. A splash of freckles littered her nose and under her eyes, which looked light brown, but he wasn't sure. Other than that there wasn't much to her because she was buried in a long red skirt, a bulky vest and long sleeves.

Loki noticed it was snowing outside in the mortal world, and he didn't give a damn. The demi-god frowned and knew he was in for a horrendous time, so he chose to keep to himself. How better to gauge his surroundings but to immerse himself?

OOO

Siggy's fingers were flying across the keyboard at record speed as she listened to Romanoff. The woman seemed relieved to reveal her information- it was a burden. "So, you would say it's normal for the group here to begin drinking by the afternoon?"

Natasha sighed, tossed back her drink and nodded. "Sometimes yeah, like today. It messes with training sometimes. It's hard to run five miles with booze in you. Stark is a terribly good pusher of alcohol."

"So you feel pressured?" Siggy asked easily, with her eyes on the laptop. She heard the palm slam on the table before her and she looked into Romanoff's expecting eyes. "No," Siggy corrected herself, with a respectful gleam in her eye. "I don't suppose you do."

Natasha smirked then and leaned back, swirling the ice in her glass and appreciating that she hadn't rattled the petite woman across from her. "No wonder Fury called you in…cool as a cucumber. You'll have to tell me how he caught you." She mused and stared at Siggy a moment longer before she decided to take it easy on her and hazing was not a thing needed. First day and all that jazz…besides, she liked the gal.

"To answer your question: yeah, it's because the situation often announces it and a drink helps us come back down from the shit we just got out of," Natasha continued, "…that and schwarma. Plus there's too much testosterone here…they need to have something else to focus on besides their egos."

Siggy smiled and nodded, grateful for the unspoken acceptance of her questions. Maybe she'd take it easy after this though…just as an observer, no more questions.

As she dove back into her laptop to finish up, the agent stood.

"Would you like another?"

At the quick nod and smile Siggy sent her, Romanoff moved out with hers and the anthropologist's glasses for refills.

That's the moment when she noticed that she was alone on the couch with someone else. Her head whipped to the left and she met the sideways glance of Loki himself. How did she not notice? Oh yeah, _cuz of the research and not the booze_...sad right...

"Sorry…ignored you over there. I'm Sigrün."

Loki said nothing, just looked back at the fireplace.

_Oh sweet mother of Zeus, I am so glad he's ignoring me!_ She thought and focused back in on finishing up her train of thought. With a flourish of brainpower and impressive word-per-minute skills, she finally leaned back, smiled and closed her laptop with a snap.

Siggy yawned aloud and stood, stretching a bit, before she moved to her bag and unzipped her vest. Natasha arrived with Clint at her side and offered her a refreshed drink. "Thanks, Tash."

The assassin lifted one perfect eyebrow, and allowed a little smirk to rise up. "Sure thing, Siggy. Do you really like that nick name?"

"Oh it's fine. I've been called it so much. Its hard for some to pronounce Sigrün." Siggy said as they clinked glasses and drank. Natasha and Clint plopped on the loveseat and looked comfortable, if a little bit angled away from one another.

With a smile on her face, she looked at her vest and remembered it was warm in there, so she removed it. The tight black shirt she was wearing beneath was one of her favorite winter ones, because it was warm, didn't get in the way, and had fanciful little lace on the edge of the long sleeves and around the v-neckline. She pulled from the shirt, the white-gold heirloom necklace that was her mother's. It was a crescent-shaped moonstone, with amber resting in the middle.

She took up her drink once more and walked over to the fire, to end up standing beside Banner who had just taken his glasses off and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I can tell exhaustion when I see it." She said quietly.

The doctor looked up, surprised and glanced up through the immense glass window of the room to see it was dark already, and snowing. "Wow. Yeah, must have got caught up. I'm Bruce Banner by the way." He said and extended his hand.

She smiled at him and took it quickly. "My name is Sigrün, but you can call me Siggy. Interesting to be in the Stark's playground." She said and glanced back at the narcissistic inventor, who was flamboyantly pouring a row of shots in front of the Captain and Thor. She shook her head and looked back at Banner.

"So," said a deeper voice, and she turned to look at Clint Barton. "How did Fury catch you anyway? We were there for the stage meeting yeah, but what did he _do_ to piss you off enough to come here?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling. "It was stupid embarrassing…he made sure to make me know he was serious when I wrote back a 'smart ass email'," she said sarcastically with air quotes. "That was due to the first inquiry into my helping out here…He didn't like that very much."

At the snicker she received from the two spies, she knew they had an idea about how horrible that encounter was.

"See, you get it." Sigrün said as she pointed a finger accusingly and she spun towards them to weave her tale. "Fury barged into my classroom and strode down to my lectern to stand _in front_ of me. Then his goons stood at the exits and the windows. All 'holier than thou' type stances." She hissed, "Well, he interrupted me just as I was introducing myself to _my very first class ever_ as a paid professor. My _first_ _class_ mind you!" she huffed and her eyes grew fierce as she turned to glare into the fire. "I can never enter the scholastics realm again to teach…you simply can't live something like that down."

Banner gave her a look of pity, and patted her arm before standing. Then she shook her head and turned to see Stark before her with a pair of shots, one held out for her. She lifted a brow as the Captain and Thor helped pass a few others out. Even Loki was handed one by his brother.

"Well, we all have some shit history with a pissed off Fury. Shall we toast to him then and get this welcome party moving? That is, if you're done with your homework, Siggy." Stark asked and ignored the little tick in her eyes as he raised his own shot. "To the bearer of the tightest undies in the land; to Fury!"

"What duties does the Bearer of tight undies hold," was heard in the back as a resounding "Cheers" was heard throughout the room and it drowned the question.

Siggy closed her eyes and shook her head after she drained the glass. "Damn good whiskey!" she wheezed.

She noticed from her peripheral that Loki was leaning forward and starring at the fire, with a drained shot glass on the table before him. She smiled and, despite knowing she had a light buzz coating her mind, she thought, _He just toasted with them all…_


	2. Chapter 2 Playing With Fire

Loki lied on the same leather couch he'd occupied as the night before, with a book to keep him company for the past few hours. Mind you, he'd read it at least ten times before. He had no way of using any decent magic to escape or to even believe he'd have a chance, so he spent his entire morning bored and searching for something to do.

Finally a disembodied voice- Jarvis, he came to know it- caught him wandering and told him there was sustenance in the same room as the night before. It was considered a 'common room' where the team would spend the most time, eat meals, and strategize.

Thusly, he understood that this was where he was going to spend most of his time paying his dues. At least this entire day, he reasoned with a sneer as he closed his book in defeat. Everyone else was still asleep, as far as he imagined, what with the carrying on of last nights party.

The swish of one of those odd doors opening had Loki narrowing his eyes and listening in. It was a light shuffle of feet he heard, and they were non-threatening. With that knowledge he sat up and turned around to spot the 'anthropologist' who was skimming her bare feet across the floor towards the kitchens in a cotton robe of odd and deplorable design.

He'd read up on the term anthropology in an encyclopedia he found in his room. Why anyone would want to study humans or their wastes was beyond his comprehension.

Still, he took a good look at her appearance, as she was clearly preoccupied with a machine he was unfamiliar with. In fact, she smacked the thing when it took more than a couple of minutes to do whatever she expected of it, and she fairly well _snarled _the words, "God damnit, you son of a bee sting…make my morning ambrosia!" she lifted a fist and cried to the ceiling. And they thought him a tyrant...

Loki imagined most humans weren't quite this ridiculous in the early morning… at least upon waking. He saw that her hair was even more wild than the night before…at least then it was contained in a tie. Now it practically had a life of its own, curling around her head and fluffing up as if to claim its own territory.

It was let down for the most part and extremely course by the look of it. He imagined that running fingers through it would be a complete trap one would never escape. That brought a low chuckle to his chest. He had to admit though; her hair did have a very redeeming color of brilliant copper. He couldn't imagine that he'd ever seen such a deep red before, though it reminded him of his mother.

Loki decided he'd have to confront her soon enough, so he stood fully and wandered closer to the tired female. "I suppose a good morning is customary to say."

A yip of shock had her jerking to the right and away from him, which brought her lower back to slam into the counter top. She hissed in a breath and threw a hand to her side before wincing up at him. The smile she offered him through her pain was bright and just as surprising.

"Damn, well you sure know how to take the very breath from a woman…" she said with a little mischief to her eyes.

Said eyes, he noticed, were not brown like he'd thought the night before. They were like amber, nearly gold, as the irises took him in. It was slightly uncomfortable to see such raw emotion available for him to perceive freely…and manipulate.

"Yes well, apparently I have that effect on the fairer sex." He responded, and set a hand on the counter to lean in. He wanted to make her uncomfortable.

"I'll bet," she whispered and straightened her back, though she winced. "Hey, help me out here, mister cloak and dagger."

Loki frowned at her modern jargon, but stepped up nonetheless. She turned easily to him and he could feel her adequate backside bump his thigh through the ugly cotton rode she wore.

He knew her hair coloring was unique, but this close up was fascinating. She wielded colors throughout of some deep reds, copper being the foremost, and then there were lighter strands randomly throughout that gleamed in the light of the sun. Those were very white.

"Alright," she said, breathing hitched into a slightly higher tone that he easily caught, "give me your arm. Yep, now hold that here." She placed his forearm above her chest, over her collarbone.

"The other you can lay wherever makes this more comfortable. You'll be lifting me when I release a breath. This will release nitrogen from my back joints and help ease some pain."

Loki nodded and quickly laid his other arm just under her breasts, which caused her to intake a deep breath, but she forced it out. Then he lifted.

There was a crescendo of audible pops down her back as he lifted and the breathless moan that escaped her gave him a start…straight to his loins.

It had been ages since he'd indulged in a female, and she was not unattractive, but it was such a sharp spike of lust that it had him instinctively on guard. As she drew her breath once more with an appreciative sigh, that nearly did him in…He would not be touching her again, he told himself as he set her on her feet.

"Well, that sure did the trick!" She said with a flush to her cheeks. "Thank you Loki. It's been a while since I've been to my chiropractor."

He had no idea what that was as he watched her move back to the machine she'd been cursing before. "Do you like coffee?" she asked.

At the lift of a single eyebrow for her response, she smirked, "Guess we'll see. Well, now you'll know if you enjoy the nectar of the gods...or at least that of the scholars."

She brought him a cup of the steaming drink and he did not detest the smell. "Now, I like vanilla cream in mine. Do you like sugar, or is bitter better a better flavor?"

Loki was tempted to say bitter, but he wouldn't mind something good. So he said whatever she did to her own.

After a shake of a couple mini paper pouches and their contents into the mugs, she then found a container in the icebox and shook it up before pouring a little into the cups. Finally she stirred the mix and offered up the mug with a transformed color and scent.

He carefully watched her down her own cup easily, and then moved over for a refill. "Sorry," she muttered, "I chug the first batch and then take my time on the next. It's a habit."

Loki took a sip, carefully, and tried not to widen his eyes at the flavors he'd just experienced. "It's um…it's good." He said and looked up to the woman who began beaming at him.

"Well!" she said with a grin, "I'm glad. Coffee is pure delight and something everyone should enjoy. Here…let me make us another cup and we can sit before these ginormous windows. It's been a year or two since I've seen some snow fall."

She did as she said, Loki trying to slow down and savor the drink, despite the fact it was addictive. _Co-fee,_ he thought with a nod, and drained the cup. She took it an instant later and refilled it with the dark liquid, adding her own dash of taste like before.

"Here," she said, as she handed him the mug and led the way around the marble counter to the enormous windows. The immense glass was the feature of the whole room and created an atmosphere where lighting wasn't really needed at the moment. With the snow falling fast and swift outside, it was nearly serene.

At the height of the tower, Siggy felt like it was pure magic she was witnessing after they'd sat a few minutes in silence. "I love this. I was in Africa last winter before I was accepted as an instructor." She said absently.

Loki glanced to her with boredom and she jerked suddenly. "You know, I just realized, we weren't really introduced. A bit late I bet, but I just wanted to say it's been interesting to meet you."

Loki sneered at that. Who was this mortal woman to coddle him and play house? "So then, the last year when I attacked these puny mortals? You don't seem to care about that act. Is that so pleasant to you as well? Maybe I'll enlist you during my next attempt to destroy Midgard."

Sigrün's eyes took on a hard and dull tone, which caused Loki to quiet and listen to her pathetic response. "You would do well to not repeat that around the Avengers. You know _very_ _well_ that will get you trampled." At the hardening of his jaw, she assumed he understood the message. _Take care who you piss off…_

"Very well." He hissed. "However, do you think you could manage if _I_ deemed to teach you not to interfere with those more powerful than you?"

Before she could manage a thought, he'd leapt from his seat and snatched her by the throat. Her robe fell open and he spotted her necklace glowing brightly, the same color as her eyes.

"It's amber." She hissed, as he caught her eyes glowing along with the pendent lighting her neckline. "Freyja's stone. She swore to protect her Valkyr children…her children's children…"

"So you want to cry to your grandmother for help?" he said with a mirthless chuckle.

"Oh no," she replied with a dark grin, her amber eyes molten. "That's just for a distraction. This next bit is all _me_."

Before Loki could comprehend her words, Sigrün's knee shot up and slammed into his abdomen, though her petite height belied the astonishing force behind it. The breath left his lungs in a rush and he backed up a few paces to right it. His eyes flew up, just as a horrendous weighty robe attacked his face.

As he ripped the thing from his person, he was met with the sight of Sigrün standing with one foot back; a stance that brazenly stated _Come at me. _However, Loki halted in all movements to stare in pure shock.

Her hair was lighted by fire, and the tendrils danced around her shoulders, down over her chest to come back up again; a living flame. Her eyes were bright and relentless, as if filled with molten fire. "Wanna dance bro?" her voice was deep and throaty but it was no less threatening, despite her strange jargon.

Loki straightened then and looked at her dead on with one leg back. Outside, the blizzard was in full force as it beat the glass with fury…it was the only sound in the room besides the crackle of flame.

Finally, after a rigid standoff, Sigrün found whatever she was searching for in Loki's eyes and dropped the aggressive stance. He watched her shed her form, as it literally extinguished into the air; the remnants of the flames floated up to disappear above her.

They heard the doors swish open and both turned to see the Captain and Thor appear through the door, weapons at the ready though they both looked tired.

"The voice warned us both of a fight brewing here between you both." Thor barked. "What is the meaning of this brawl?"

Siggy caught the god's gaze and nodded to him. "The situation is over. We were just finishing our coffee." She said and grabbed her cup from the side table. She then leaned over to grab her robe that Loki had tossed, before she swept out of the room, leaving the males behind speechless.

"Loki, what did you do?" Thor grated, though he sounded exasperated.

"I saw a Valkyrie…" he replied as he took his cup up and looked into the liquid. He knew he was in for some fun with this female. One who could combat him in more ways than one maybe? Plus, if he could get her to lean over again like she'd just done in those nearly indecent tight, black clothes wrapping her thighs and backside, he certainly wouldn't mind another round.

OOO

Siggy sat at the table, with her open but unused laptop before her, and listened to the barrage of questions she'd just received after Jarvis had shown the footage of her…display.

"Okay, okay!" she hissed and slammed her palms on the table, shaking a glass of OJ or two. "First of all, Stark, no I will not roast marshmallows on command. Captain, no I cannot change on command; there needs to be emotion behind it. Banner, damn fine pancakes if I do say so myself." A shy nod and a modest wave was her response to that one.

"Now, Thor, I am not a 'Child of fire', and I don't know what that is. I just know that whatever Brynhild, my mother, was able to pass on she did so…in the form of flames."

At the nods and mild conversation starting around her, she caught Loki's glowering gaze from the back. She promptly stuck her tongue out and received a knowing smirk in return.

"Anyone have any more burning questions they need to ask?" she muttered, but immediately slapped a hand to her mouth and sunk her head to the table. That got a riot out of even Romanoff.

OOO

Please let me know your thoughts, I am a wee bit self-conscious after so long posting for the community. Thank you!


	3. Chapter 3 Asking For a Sunburn

To those who have reviewed: you're so amazing! There's nothing like getting that email from the net saying someone thought I wrote something worth their time… danke schön!

OOO

Siggy pushed into the main room, lugging a flat, rectangular box, with an over-loaded canvas bag on her shoulder.

Over the past few weeks, most of the others had been training, working on projects, and she…well, she was trying to keep busy writing up reports for Fury and observational data when she felt like it. She had assumed, by the last conversation with the S.H.I.E.L.D director, that she would be here for a long period of time.

Which meant she was going to be horrendously bored for an unknowable spell. When she pressed for an answer, she was not comforted… So she called her foster mother up in Alaska and asked her for a very, very special favor.

Luckily there was a handful of the crew in the room so she wouldn't have to make introductions a thousand times over. Thor was busy on the couch, trying to Skype with Jane who would be coming to visit soon. Then there was the hobo in the corner with a book or something. Barton and Natasha were fresh from a session in the shooting range, and finally Stark was sitting with Pepper at the bar sorting out some business.

Noticing the studious atmosphere, Siggy made to set the obtuse box down as carefully as possible. She gritted her teeth as everyone looked up to the crash when she lost her grip.

"Err…sorry." She muttered as she turned to everyone, with a red face. "Guess now that I have everyone's attention, you should know that there will be an addition to this little fun factory we call a dorm."

"Oh yeah?" She heard Tony pipe in, and spotted a hint of knowing. _Of course he has an idea_. This was his turf, but also he had Jarvis about to keep tabs for him. She only hoped there weren't cameras in their bathrooms.

"Do tell us who your new friend is." Stark said with a smirk.

She didn't have to…

A great ruckus hit the doors behind her, with relentless scratching heard through the metal, followed by howling. Thor immediately hit the pavement and was at her side, with an arm out as if to shield her. "What fiend did you bring to our door?"

Siggy pushed him aside, though with great effort that she quite unsuccessfully hid from the others. "Oh come off it, Tarzan! He's family." She said with a smile.

Finally Jarvis decided it was enough damage done to the door from the other side; the scratching on the metal was getting more aggressive. Without warring the doors swiped open and a huge beast leapt out of it, right onto the petite redhead.

"Ulfur!" she screeched from the floor while a near-hundred pound canine attacked her, tail in a windmill-spin. The man on the end of the leash was quite visibly regretting his pay scale as he tried to reign in the beast.

Squeals were her only voice before Thor himself had to lift the creature off Sigrün. She was laughing so hard as she lied on the floor to contain herself, that it took her a minute to speak. "I missed him so much! He was just a puppy when I left him at home." She said as she was offered a hand up.

"He still is a pup!" Thor offered with a laugh as the wolf-dog struggled against the massive arm containing him, licking and kicking out at the demi-god all at once. "He's quite spirited, Siggy!" he said and carefully lowered the pup to the ground despite the squirming.

"He's about a year old now. I had to leave him right after I left for Romania for three months, came back to a little beast, and then I was...err, _recruited_ to come here. My poor baby!" she cooed as the pup finally leapt up, his paws dwarfing her shoulders.

"_Ahem,_" they heard and looked over at Stark. "You really think I'll let this mangy thing stay here?"

Before Siggy had the chance to fight him, Pepper interrupted. "I think you should let her pet stay with her."

"Ah…come on, Pepper. Seriously? Think of the fur!"

The strawberry-blonde smiled at her boyfriend but it had an edge to it; one that said, _I win…or else._

"Fine! Whatever, it's just a dog anyway." Tony barked, but he was sure to watch her as she walked to the door. He noticed the wink she'd offered to Sigrün. "Holy shit, she knew about this? Pff, women." He muttered and turned back to his drink, then announced, "The doggie can stay, but if he shits anywhere, that's on you."

Siggy grinned with delight and rubbed her wolf-dog's cheeks. "I knew he'd say yes. Who could say no to you, Ulf-_bear_?" Stark's put-upon moaning in the back did nothing to deter the woman's pleasure at having her fluffy companion at her side.

"What do you say we get you some eats soon?" she asked the beast, and his tail curled up, swaying back and forth. "By the way, thank you for helping, Thor. Ulfur tends to be a bit much for many…myself included."

The god laughed and patted the wolf-dog's head fondly. "He is a good beast, and he'll keep you company and give you protection when needed"

At that, she laughed and shook her head with gusto. "That he will _not_. He'd probably show them where the jewelry is. Well, we won't keep you anymore, Thor. I've got to finish a report before dinner. Come on, Ulfur." She said and he happily trailed her to her desk, one she'd claimed over her time there. Siggy didn't worry much about the box that held Ulfur's cage that she dropped earlier. She'd enlist help later on to lug it to her room.

OOO

After an hour or so, dinner was announced and Siggy leaned back to stretch in her chair. Too bad she hadn't heard a peep from Loki since that first incident. He was really excellent at popping her aching back. _Kinda sucks… too bad he's a narcissist or he might be good in bed_, her thought process barked out before she could retract it.

She hissed, saved her program, and shut the laptop before she hopped up and slumped onto the couch beside Ulfur. Despite the jump, her mind went right back to _other_ things.

As if she knew what sex actually felt like. Because of her 'gift' from her mother, she had never been able to earn that medal. She'd tried of course…_Many times,_ she thought with a frown, as she remembered those awkward encounters. Her condition had left some burnt and scalded would-be-lovers in her wake. Siggy would never know what it felt like to be in bed with another…due to the potentially lethal symptoms of coupling with her. She was resolutely single for life.

A collection of males howling at one another interrupted her thoughts, and she was thankful. Ulfur rooed a little, and he stretched out as she pushed his grabby claws away to stand up and join the ruckus.

"You have no idea what you're getting into, Stark." Banner said, hands wringing together with anxiety.

"What? We heard the transmission. All we need to do is go see this guy, and trade him something for it. Simple and sweet."

"Sounds like a pact with the devil." Rogers said with a sneer. "What the hell did he want in return?"

"Well," Stark replied with a pitched voice, "He didn't _say_, but we _will _need his help eventually. What with the threats we have going on out there, Jesus, have you heard Fury? Come on! Sentient robots? New aliens on the horizon. Worse than the Chitari? I mean, yeah, sic Jarvis on them or something, that'll work."

"Shall I really, sir?" they heard from above.

Stark ignored him and shook his head. "We were told this is what we're getting into, we have to worry about the big picture."

Sigrün could not wait a moment longer before she popped in beneath the Cap's elbow, while he was angry arm-crossing. "What's going on? What is this _he_ asking for?"

The Captain chimed in then. "Well, nothing yet, but we were talking to a...an informant."

"Nice way to sugar coat it for her, Cap-e-tan." Stark poked. "After all, she's the daughter of a Valkyrie, she can handle big words."

Sigrün tried to just shrug at Starks words, but she couldn't help it. The fact that she was utterly pissed was an understatement at this point…

She absently heard the whoosh of the doors behind her as she opened up all verbal attacks upon the billionaire. "You know what? Fuck you, Tony! You must know all my dirty secrets by this point so just go ahead and _lay_ _them_ _out_ for us all to hear! I'm sure you'll surprise even myself!"

Siggy felt a heavy hand on her shoulder, but she instantly gritted her teeth and an uncontrolled flame burst from her hair and back, throwing it off so she could confront Stark on her own terms.

"You son of bitch," she hissed, as she advanced, small flames flickering. "You knew all about me, despite the fact I tried to push things underneath. _What do you know?_" she howled and grasped his shirt collar, shaking him.

As drops of his whiskey hit the floor, Stark cleared his throat and said, "I don't think this is for me to say…" He pointedly looked at Banner, who turned a horrible shade of green, and not the big-guy kind. "You know what I'm saying." He grated as the female realized she was holding Stark above the ground with ease.

Siggy dropped him; she was not thinking about what she'd just done because she was completely trying to block the image of her own nails, thick and curled inward, like claws.

Siggy dimly moved toward the demure doctor for answers, her new claws up for evidence. She looked up with tears in her eyes and fear evident on her face. "Tell me….please Bruce."

Banner sighed and said, "Your mother once tried to help me. Her name was Samantha, at the time. Her father was very influential, but she helped me…. long story short, she was actually a reincarnate of your mother, Brunnhilde. She was originally one of the highest Valkyrie in Asgard…but she birthed you here, on earth. When Brunnhilde earned her body back, she...well, she left you here."

The breathless sigh that left Siggy caused the males surrounding her to immediately close in and attempt to catch the 'delicate female'. At the realization she recoiled and began snapping.

"You assholes!" she screamed, "I'm not a damn flower!" Although tears threatened, she refused to admit it hurt her. She'd long ago accepted that her original mother or father had left her. However, she now had a loving foster mother…but old wounds hurt the most.

"So, now that my dirty laundry is aired and out in the open…mostly because I pushed," Siggy admitted, with a defeated sigh as she leaned over and gripped her waist, deep in thought. "What the hell do we need to do now?" she said, eyes slightly red but just as rich and golden as before. "Who's ass needs a beating?"

"Well, we need to see this man called the Collector."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Siggy replied with a frown, as she felt a cool body beside her. It's been so long since she felt any form of cold. She was always hot, always warm. There was no such thing as comforters for her, or cute winter leggings.

She wondered at the feeling a moment, then looked back and met the eyes of Loki, who seemed just as incredulous that he had gotten so close to her.

In that moment, they realized that what they were feeling was a mutually opposite, but fully perfect sensation of temperatures leveling out.

It was fucking horrifying.


	4. Chapter 4 Testing the Waters

OOO

Natasha watched the group of males amongst themselves. It was the argument on who needed to go and meet their new non-trustable contact on a different planet. She honestly didn't mind not going along with them to find this Collector.

Between herself and Siggy, they'd generated enough reports on it. Natasha's were straightforward and down to the nitty gritty of the goal, without human aspect. Sig's reports were very anthropological and more in depth than Natasha expected. It actually had her sit back, mid-read, and look around the room at the others. _Huh…_she'd though, _I never even noticed that. Good for you nerd._

Well, as far as the mission was concerned, Natasha wasn't comfortable going through the Bifrost thing of the Asgardians, so she was thankful if she'd sit it out. She liked her feet firmly planted, thank you; let the meatheads go on through.

Clint plopped down beside her and gave her the look she'd learned to decipher. It was nothing to others, but expressive to her. She gave him an open smirk and bumped his leg with her heel.

She looked up to see Siggy shuffle into the room with a huge cup of coffee and a jumble of notes in her arm. Ulfur was at her heels, though he left her to duck under the conference table to beg for scraps and pats.

Seeing no other space in the room, Siggy ended up being sequestered in at the end chair, where Loki was lying on the couch only feet behind her. She hadn't noticed as she dropped the books and papers down and slumped into the chair, gingerly nursing her coffee.

"Rough night?" Natasha offered from the left of the anthropologist.

"You could say that…" Siggy said as she tapped her cup with the claws that had stuck around since her "transformation" as Stark liked to call it.

"I was looking over the barrage of emails from my replacement at the university. That damn _noob_ knows nothing about creating a syllabus and setting up a plan for the students…the only reason he got hired after me is because he made the panel swoon with his stupid GQ body type and a phony "Origins of Female Ecstasy" lecture."

That had a handful of eyes upon her and she sneered. "See what I mean? Sex sells even if its bullshit!" She refused to say more and sipped into her coffee, wishing it were ever filling. When the eyes failed to leave her, she sighed. "He's a basic Hollywood presence to the anthropology world. He's all show and no substance, but the public eats it up…I suppose I should be grateful people are looking at us." She said absently and blew a tendril of frizzy hair from her cheek.

"GQ body type?" Banner said at her right, though his eyes were laughing.

"Alright, he has a…very attractive body type that most females would want to procreate with. But he's as dull as slate and twice as hard in the head."

"And how well does Miss Temper over there know said GQ model?"

She hissed inwardly and turned her chair to the left to glare at Tony. "Well enough. He was a TA for a while."

"Uh huh, was that before or after he tried to get in your pants?"

Siggy stood up and threw her empty cup at Stark's head. "You masochist! We were grad students and he threatened that I attacked him when we−−" She paled visibly and slumped back down in her seat when she noticed the wide eyes that were registering her words.

Natasha spoke first. "Sig, you can say anything here. You don't have to worry about Stark. He's an asshole, but he has limits…so we believe." She said with a glare back at the inventor, who actually looked pretty regretful.

"Look, don't know if I should talk about it…but I do know there are files available you all have access to. You may as well hear it from the source." Siggy took a deep breath and pushed away from the table.

"I um…I have never been close to _anyone_. I've tried; trust me. The most I've ever done is hold another person, or with the guys, try for a kiss or two. But if, and when, my emotions literally spark…I set people on fire. GQ was one who got too close, and I gave him a second-degree burn. He thought it was the summer heat, but pushed when I told him no…serves him right I suppose." She said.

Natasha looked at her with both pity and respect. "Must be nice though. No entanglements… You're a free woman."

Clint glanced at his fellow assassin and said. "Maybe, but she is missing out regardless."

"I agree." Siggy said and left it at that.

Fury swept into the room with Hill at his heels, followed by Thor. "Alright ladies, looks like this is gonna have to be the plan." He said, and looked around the room.

"Since we don't know the full threat, I've talked with the Captain and he decided to start working on another issue that came up, while he trusts you all can stay put and work on this dilemma. I don't like not knowing what's coming, but we need the Collector to give us one of those Legacy stones…Be advised, we need to offer whatever we can in order to get our hands on one. Capish?"

"Something tells me a man whose name is all about collecting isn't going to want to part with his rock." Clint said.

At the nods, he continued. "Now, do we know who's going in and who's staying behind?"

"I need to go, of course," boomed Thor, "but I would also like to have my brother there with—

"No can do." Fury interjected. "He's been contained three months. With the crap he pulled in New York, and not to mention New Mexico? I think not. You'll leave my agents here, Romanoff and Barton. Stark has to stay put."

"Good, because its past five." The man retorted.

Ignoring him, Fury continued. "I think you need another pseudo-immortal or two. Due to the information given to us by your Warrior's Three an hour ago, he is not mortal at all. We need to know more."

Thor nodded and looked around the room. He focused on Banner, who he knew would keep his head focused on the task, so he nodded toward the man. "Dr. Banner is most needed, and he can take great attention to detail."

After he received a nod of thanks by the compliment, Thor thought he needed one more in his troop. He glanced over to Siggy, daughter of a famous Valkyrie, who was fiddling with her necklace and running her new claws over the chain.

"The lady Sigrün is needed, Fury. She is an anth…anthro…um, she is a scientist like Jane. I know she will have some insight in to the situation that neither myself nor Dr. Banner will be focusing on."

The very size of Siggy's eyes worried Thor that they would pop out of her head. "Wh-what? You really mean to take me?" she spat out.

At once, Fury nodded with approval. "Good choice, Thor. I expect I won't be needed anymore. Carry on." The director then turned and sailed out of the room, with Agent Hill offering a nod to Natasha and Clint, just before she also sailed out.

"Let us prepare!" Thor roared and left the room, Banner reaching over and patted Siggy's arm.

"It'll be okay." He said, and stood to follow the heard.

Siggy remained with Ulfur, her paperwork and…_Loki_. Knowing he had a burning question, she was sure, the female turned to him. "Guten morgen, trickster god. Having fun back there?"

He was looking at her already, but he had no emotion that she could analyze. _Hard ass._

"You have never taken a lover?" he asked sharply, eyes blank.

As if she could stem the sudden blush that flooded her cheeks, she huffed audibly and crossed her arms. "Well, that was blunt." She hissed and turned fully toward him. "I don't have to spread my legs to be considered a woman, you know."

He smirked at that and sat up in one motion, like liquid, to lean forward with his elbows on his knees. His stupid, renaissance-level shirt he sported offered a v-shaped glimpse of the dormant, yet defined muscles of his chest…She well near salivated.

"Truly, a woman versed in the bedroom has a different form of power." Loki argued.

"Maybe, but woman who doesn't use sex as a form of strength can also be powerful. It can be very, very hard to say no." she said and leaned forward an inch to wink. "Just trust me on that. I have a hard time believing you'd ever said no, or even told no."

Loki grinned at her and rolled the fingertips of one hand over his other palm, as if he was trying to distract the fact he was processing his thoughts. "Saying no is different that being forced to say it. You've scorched others when they get too close, Sigrün."

The way he said her full name gave her chills, in the a way that was _very_ pleasant. "What of it?" she practically snarled in defense, just as Loki pulled a move that got her hair static sparking with anticipation.

He whipped a foot out, dragging her chair between his knees, as he brought his hands down on its arms. She literally felt the waves of his cool temperature and it took a lot for her to resist the urge to curl up into his lap and bask in the new experience.

"You feel this." He uttered. Though his cockiness was gone, his green eyes were full of curiosity. Up this close, she knew he hadn't taken time for an illusion…she was looking at the god Loki as few ever have.

"Yes." she croaked and licked her lips. "Your aura feels cool to me…I _truly_ feel it. So cool, in fact, I wonder why I didn't feel it when you popped my back when we first interacted a couple months ago."

Loki smirked, a crease in a corner of his mouth, but it held little teasing. "Well, you did get quite angry at me that morning. Might I dare inquire…mayhap I've ignited that fire which you try so hard to tamp down?"

The fact that he was right didn't make it sting any less, but they were talking and not being weird, so she was going to let it go. "So, can you feel me?"

Loki's already handsome face grew into a practically devious one by the way he looked at her. "I know you are quite warm. I've never felt such a thing. I didn't know what warm truly was, to be honest. You are an enigma and I want to know more."

Siggy grinned at that. She can deal with curious.

"Do you feel bad that you aren't coming with us? To go see the Collector man-beast."

"He's a man…beast?" Loki said, as his eyebrows furrowed.

"No, its…" _sigh_, "it's an expression I use when I don't know how to address someone, or I'm making fun. Just…well, ignore that bit. Did you want to go with us to see the Collector?" she reiterated.

Loki frowned. "To be honest, I didn't expect Thor to ask for me to follow. But I am curious."

"I'll be sure to let you know as much as I can." She said, and hesitated before she added. "I wish you could have gone with as well. If only because it's seriously nice being around you…well, you know, since I'm leeching your coldness and all."

Loki smirked. "I should have to agree with you."

Siggy didn't know what to do from there, so she smiled awkwardly and made to push back from him with her rollie-chair, but she found herself stuck. Her amber eyes met his serious green gaze, and she was caught up in them.

Loki leaned forward and lifted his hand to hover next to her jawline. He watched her eyelids flutter with pleasure from the feeling of his cool aura, but when he set his hand upon her skin, it felt like he was holding flame itself.

Siggy's mouth fell open into an o and she groaned a little, lifting a hand to cover his. The cold of his skin was heaven, a feeling she'd never known before. When she'd subconsciously moved to have her chin in his cool palm, she opened her eyes to look up at him and was rendered speechless.

He looked enraptured.

Loki's eyes were on the skin of her face before they met her warm amber orbs. "You feel…I don't know what you feel like." He said, almost at a loss.

"Maybe…like summer? Damn, Loki, you feel like winter. Like...really, _really_ winter. I never felt the cold my entire life." She trailed off when he brushed a tendril of hair out of her face and marveled a little at the texture. "I never even knew what cold was honestly, since it's never been an experience. Hell, I've happily worn shorts in blizzards. I only wear long sleeves to throw off what I'm _not_ feeling. I know how stupid that sounds, but−−"

Siggy instantly hushed when his other hand rose to encompass her neck, and his thumb ran over the thin skin of her collarbone. His callouses rasped against the sensitive area and she instantly folded into his grip. "Oh god."

When she was nearly in his lap, they finally looked up at one another. Mouths a breath apart…

The intercom overhead interrupted and she leapt off of Loki in an instant, shivering, though not with cold. "_Lady Siggy, please met Dr. Banner and myself at the…um…damn what was it? Oh, well, yes the common room. I am told we will move from there…I am done. Now what shall I_−−"

Siggy did not know what to do, but when she looked down at Loki, she realized he was thinking the same thing. "Um…Loki, I need to go. Er…yeah." She said as she turned and gathered her book and paperwork.

She felt, rather than heard him approach…and she was not disappointed.

Loki grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look at him. Their auras clashed in a completely non-delicate dance, twisting and vying for dominance.

That feeling alone was enough for them to take a moment and just feel one another's presence. Siggy opened her eyes, saw his pointed gaze, and lifted her thumb to his lips. She wordlessly folded her palm and fingers over his cheeks, and watched him try to hide his reaction.

"I'll be back soon. Trust me, Loki… I want to see just where this little project we have going can get us."

With that, she pushed him back onto the couch, and he allowed himself to land on the cushions. His dark gaze followed her as she turned, gathered her notes and book, and then as she turned, winked, and flew out of the room.

Once she left his presence, she took the warmth, leaving nothing but cold. It felt similar to how Loki felt when the green beast had flung him about. This time, though, he wasn't bruised and broken…it was oddly satisfying, and he wanted more of the warmth.


	5. Chapter 5 Now We Fly

OOO

Sigrün "suited up" like Natasha asked her to. "For safety purposes," The agent had said as she handed over some uniform items. "They'll offer more protection than that robe you like so much."

"Oh har har, you're so funny." Siggy retorted as took the bundle to change in the bathroom. "For your information that robe was the one thing I allowed myself to buy on a layover in Okinawa."

"So," she heard Natasha hum through the door. "Not only is it an ugly robe, but it's from a tourist trap in an airport?"

"Stuff it, Romanov."

Once she was alone and wearing the items, she walked out and felt like she was wearing a full body, leather leotard or something. When she moved, she swore she creaked.

_This won't work…I'll look scared to this Collector dude_, she thought and frowned. She'd have to adjust the look…

Determined, Siggy dug into her suitcase and found her worn field boots, which she zipped up over the Kevlar fabric wrapping her legs. Though while she took some steps and knew this was a very good start, Siggy still felt she had a huge cat-suit vibe.

Decidedly, she unzipped the long sleeved jacket of the uniform and removed it so she had the tank top beneath and nothing protecting her arms. Knowing that wouldn't do for spy-woman extraordinaire, she at least decided to pull on her aged-leather vest. With a smirk, she spun to the mirror and took the results in.

She looked…decidedly like Lara freaking Croft without the braid.

With a defeated sigh, she grabbed her trusty machete to strap it onto her hip. It'd never once tasted blood, but it _had_ destroyed a couple of leaves in the Amazon that had the balls to get in her way. May as well bring it…she could add in howling at her enemies in some of the Yanomamo language she'd picked up. _Total badass...right here_.

Siggy shoved a notebook in the small cargo pocket on her calf, along with a pen. Finally, she kissed her pendant before looking down at Ulfur, who was watching her with curiosity.

"All right pooch lets go." A quietchuff was her answer as she opened the door and sailed out.

OOO

The group was out on the helipad by the time she'd made it up. Natasha had joined Siggy halfway there, and she'd given the anthropologist a sidelong smirk, though she focused in on the aged vest. "Good of you to join us, Indy."

"Seriously? Skin tight get-ups are your forte, not mine." Siggy defended. "I've been in-field enough to know these ugly ass boots are gonna help me much more than your stilettos…though I'm sure you have a blade in those heels…"

When she received a shrug in answer, Siggy gasped. "You _do_, don't you?"

"You should wear those pants more often though." Natasha said, ignoring the question. "They make your ass look amazing. Which is always useful around a bunch of drooling men."

Unable to help herself, Siggy gave a quick glance at the agents backside, raised her brows, and then tried to glimpse her own in the reflection of the windows. _Hmm…not bad I guess._

She frowned at knowing grin she'd received_._ "_Fine_, point taken. But one thing I'm worried about is swamp-ass or worse…chaffing," She hissed and motioned with flattened hands to her crotch.

"Oh no worries." Natasha said. "They've fixed that issue a while back."

"Oh well…that's reassuring."

OOO

From Loki's vantage point on the balcony above the helipad, he watched the others preparing. It was nearly time for the repairing Bifrost to take the small group to the Collector. He was tempted to join them by invisibly. That would be if the Bifrost could handle another, he imagined…and not because Heimdall would've seen him. At the thought, he rolled his eyes.

The opening doors from below heralded the arrival of the Widow and the clumsy Valkyrie. He gazed appreciatively upon the tight trousers the fire female wore, and they gave him a good idea of the fit body beneath.

He _had_ wondered though, if the compact spit fire in little shorts that first morning had been a dream. Maybe she'd just been an illusion; one his brain concocted due to the ages since he'd indulged in the fairer sex. A dry spell, as the mortals called it.

Loki had _really_ wondered…she seemed to only come in form of bulky robes and billowy, drab shirts. Then, she drank an exceeding amount of that sweet co-fee and in the evenings indulged in much whiskey while she typed within the confines of said robe.

But nay, there she was. The vest looked well used but still serviceable and her boots looked the same, though she seemed to flow within the attire. As if they brought her back to another time, thus giving her a swagger she'd not borne before.

As per the norm, she'd done nothing with that mane of hair. It was down and unruly as ever, reaching the small of her back. The sheer volume was dubious. If he didn't know better (or value his eyebrows), he'd have offered her a brush a while back.

"Lady Siggy! Welcome!" Thor boomed from below. He, of course, was excited. Not only would the thunder god be going on a mission, soon after they returned his little doctor would be arriving. Loki made a point to use those headphone things around the place for a few days.

He watched on as Thor stepped up and slapped Siggy's shoulder with a hearty laugh. The trickster god snickered as she practically crunched beneath the hand, with one knee giving in.

"Ah!" she squeaked and tried not to look too bothered. "Well, you seem pretty excited." Siggy gritted out with a wince and looked to Natasha for pity. The crimson beauty smirked evilly.

"Hey now, there's a good reason for me to be a bubble-person. No one enters it, or they lose a hand."

Siggy groaned and rolled her shoulder. "Noted." She said and followed the excitable god over to Banner who was finishing setting himself up with tech and cameras. No one else wanted to go, but Stark was making damn sure those remaining could have a Birdseye view of the Collector.

"You can control the on-off by the watch, but don't turn that shit off." Tony said, eyes wide as he shook his head. "We need to analyze all of it…in the words of Widow over there anyway. Me? I just want to be sure I don't have any popcorn left over."

Banner chuckled at that and said, "Noted. Won't turn it off. Hey there, Siggy."

"Hi Bruce." She said with a little sympathy as she watched Stark set the guy up. For some reason he was getting a batman-esque utility belt. "Guinea pig?" she said to the doctor.

"Yeah, it seems so."

Thor held a hand up silently, and moved to the middle of the helipad. "The time is near. Hurry up, Stark."

Tony sighed, as if put upon. "You don't rush genius."

"Says the genius fumbling with tech. Geebus, Stark." Siggy pushed him over and helped latch Banner into the tiny little do-dads. "Only a narcissist like you would make these the smallest possible loops ever…"

"Meroow!" Stark hissed, and they smirked at one another when she muttered "Asshole".

"Alright." Tony finally said. "We're all set, tech-wise. Make sure you all uh, you know…be safe and junk."

"Don't hit the hard stuff until we make it back." Siggy said as she pointed at him. "Then pull out some of the Johnny Walker Blue Label or something when we do."

"Sweetheart, when you all make it back after meeting this guy, I'm getting _the_ _best_ scotch." She caught his eye and winked, though inside she was about to freak out with anxiety.

Tony gave her a thumbs-up, before he turned and moved to stand near Natasha and Clint. The archer had his bow with him, though it wasn't extended so, hey, that gave Siggy a semblance of comfort.

She was about to turn back to the men at her left and right, but she spotted the slightest of movement above. It was then she spotted the undeniable form of Loki. He was sitting with a knee up and the other leg dangling lazily while he watched them.

Siggy couldn't see his face, but she wasn't sure if she was happy he was there. She was only so happy to be leaving with Thor and Banner, to be honest. She couldn't deal with the feeling of cold she'd so enjoyed.

_More like 'basked in' you snow bunny…_

Siggy gritted her teeth at her own brutal honesty and turned her head to the front, just as she felt the atmosphere around her shift. Freaked out, because she felt like her skin would leave her very bones, she reached out grabbed her partner's arms.

"Shit!" she barked with fear as the ends of her hair flickered blue, with the threat to ignite. "What the hell?"

Thor laughed aloud at her obvious discomfort. "It'll be fine, Siggy! We're traveling the Bifrost very soon. My advice to both of you would be to look up and _see_."

The intense light came next, and both she and Banner clung to one another's hand, while she refused to let up on her iron grip of the thunder god's arm. His booming laughter was the last thing she heard before they were shot up into the Bifrost.


	6. Chapter 6 Knowledge is Power

OOO

Siggy didn't have long enough to really process the experience of flying across space before they landed. Both she and Banner looked at each other with mutual awe. "Holy hell!" she hissed, and then felt Thor's reassuring hand on her shoulder.

With a start, she stood up fully and looked around the odd architecture of the room. She thought it looked very…star trek meets star wars."

"So freaking weird." She said and moved to touch something when a pink-skinned woman tiptoed into the room.

"Greetings. The Collector has been expecting you. Please…follow me."

When Siggy looked at Bruce, she had super wide eyes and scrunched her mouth in almost comically. He got the message.

"I know," he whispered. "This is so strange."

Thor led the way after the female, followed by Siggy and then Banner. "You know this is crazy…she's pink! There are bodies and crap all over this fucking place; inside jars and shit!" She snapped, eyes wary.

Banner was clearly gritting his teeth as he walked, though he did reach out and grip Siggy's hand. She stopped freaking out again, mid-sentence, and looked up at him.

He gave a quick, tight grip on her hand and she got the point as she me his gaze. _Show no weakness_…

Siggy nearly snarled at her own actions, because she completely understood Banner's point. She mentally stepped up to the task at hand and attempted a poker face.

They walked through a hall with _live_ beings held in glass cages. Many looked hostile, some paced their prison, and others sat without any fight in their eyes. She slowed to take in one young girl, bearing scales on one side of her face and eyes devoid of any emotion.

Seeing the little girl set a heat to Siggy's roots and she had to clench her fists, digging her nails into her palms to avoid combusting. She looked back at Banner, who was resolutely looking forward, like Thor. They were not trying to get involved in any way.

Seeing these victims of forced servitude, living in glass boxes, made her have to actively push out her thoughts. Everything about this was ethically, morally, and simply _fucking_ _wrong_. She forced herself to keep walking, though she knew she'd be leaving with some fresh recurring nightmares.

They entered a larger room with a man at the far end. He had more 'specimens' around, as he hovered over a desk. He had bleached blonde hair in tall, soft spikes, with a side-cape of leopard skin. If the people in the other room were any inkling, she knew it was of a real big-cat. She wanted to maul this guy with the blunt end of an axe.

The man turned around as she had a particularly murderous image in her head, and she started when she realized he looked like David Bowie out of the Labyrinth. His eyes were heavily lined, and there was a draw of charcoal beneath his lower lip.

Despite her anger and complete humor at seeing his Bowie-like appearance, Siggy could tell this was no simple human. He was not one to be trifled with…

"Welcome!" he said with a dark timber in his voice. "To one of my many museums, of course. I have seen you were coming but, tell me, why are you after _my _humble help?" He said and looked deeply upon each of them.

Thor stood in the middle, Siggy on the left, and Banner on the left, though the Collector watched the doctor with an intense gaze, before skipping to Siggy. "You have a monster and a Valkyrie in your midst, Asgardian. How intriguing." He said, and rubbed his gloved hands together.

Before Thor could change the subject, Siggy needed to poke at this guy, the reason being because he'd ruffled her feathers so much. "Not grade-A Valkyrie, I'm afraid. Not borne of the lightning or anything like mom…never knew who pops was."

At her words, the Collector grinned in a way that set her hair on end. "Ah…so rare. A womb-born Valkyrie? _Most_ _rare_ indeed." He said and took a step forward.

Thor stepped forward then, sensing bad intentions. "We came here to ask for assistance. My companions left a legacy stone here in safe keeping two years ago. We need to either take it with us, or receive your promise to send it to us with our need. We fear a threat is coming to Earth and we need to set up precautions."

The Collector held his gaze on Siggy for a moment longer, before addressing the god. "You are right to fear." He said, and walked to his left, as if thinking. "It is Thanos who is hunting for blood now. I don't wish to meddle with him, so I keep my distance. It would take much for me to keep your item safe…remembering that this new threat I did not provoke. And on top of this free of charge request made by you, I am now expected to get it to you in an hour of need?"

At the frowns he received in answer, he lifted his brows. "And yet this is where I can be most helpful…for a price."

It was like the room dropped ten degrees.

Thor lowered his chin and took a pained breath. "What would you require in return?"

The Collector moved back to the center again before stepping toward Siggy purposefully. Before the others could intervene, she took two steps forward to meet him.

"What are you hoping to get from me? A trophy in a glass cage?" Siggy didn't even try to withhold the anger from her voice and she dimly registered that Banner had pulled on her arm to stop her.

The Collector lifted his hands together, index fingers joined, as he took her in. "I couldn't do such a thing to one of flame…maybe another someday." he said, shocking herself and the companions at her sides. "But no, alas," he continued, "I cannot hide you in a shell for only my eyes. You will have tasks in your lifetime to bring to…_fruition_." He said with a purr that really unsettled Siggy. "These are tasks that will eventually benefit myself."

"So what do you want?" she snapped, patience wearing thin as the tips of her hair turned blue. The heat became palpable in the room and was noted by the others.

The Collector smiled. "I said you were womb-born, but that means you are a pure Valkyr. None of the ancient Valkyrie are actually _born_." When he got a grouping of confused looks, he knew he had to explain.

Looking put-upon, he began with a sigh, "Valkyrie are created of mortal women. Their deaths are the catalyst. Choices are the control so that only the best candidates are chosen." He stopped and looked at Sigrün. "Fate will not choose a coward who runs from it at the end. But one who faces it with valor and selflessness."

"Continue...please." she said with her teeth snapped tight and eyes glowing. She was conflicted; she had to know despite the possible lies or the asinine man before her.

The Collector chuckled and turned around. "Ah yes. Because only those whose death was directly caused by their own true acts of valor are chosen and the transformation can begin. In rare cases, these Valkyrie are actually carrying before death and birth pure but "lost", as they say, daughters. They drop them on a world and leave them. You are one of many in the cosmos." He said and turned away.

She must have shown some upsetting, childhood driven emotion on her face, because Thor stepped up to her side and tried to push her back. To shelter her…

Siggy snapped to attention and pushed the god out of her way as she advanced on the Collector. "How the hell do you know that?" she growled, "Why the _fuck_ would you even tell me? What do you have to _gain_?" She shot-gunned the questions and watched the _non_-man smirk as he took in her inquiries.

"Well, the simple truth is that it helps me to help you; it's ultimately my benefit by informing you to search for answers. I get snippets of the future… You just happened to make an appearance in one." Before she could bark another question, he became coldly serious and whirled away to his table.

"I am done with your inquiries. You will find answers elsewhere. For now, you will hear _my_ request."

Both Thor and Banner stepped up to her side and tried to shoulder her back, though she was forced to elbow the god in the gut. "Back off." She hissed and pushed back to the fore. "What were you wanting...you seem pretty clear it involves me some way."

The Collector turned to her and said, "A lock of your hair."

At the blank looks he received he sighed and waved at his pink minion. She hopped with surprise and bowed to the three before speaking. "The Collector needs a lock of yours, my lady, because he has been gathering the hair of each Valkyrie he's encountered for centuries. There is a prophecy that if he can get a suitable length of braided Valkyrie hair, they will all be at his will for a time. He shall control your kind for a time."

At the words, Siggy took a breath and asked, "How long would he control...us?"

"It is not known. The Valkyr would still wield their own power and minds, but they would be compelled to obey the wielder of the braid until the control is broken."

Siggy sighed and moved to step up to the table, but she was stopped by both of her companions.

"We don't know all the variables!" Bruce whispered.

"Siggy, this is not wise." Thor followed.

She looked at the both of them and shook her head. "This is more than myself. I think my 'cousins' and I can handle ourselves, if his word is to be believed. And besides, it's just a myth right?"

She ignored the nervous looks she got in return and stepped up to the Collector, holding her hand out. "Deal. You get us the stone when we need it and keep it safe til then. In return, you get a lock of my hair, with which you'll control myself and my cousins or something for X amount of time...as long as its not permanent of course."

Without a word, the not-man bowed his head subtly, and held out a razor sharp knife for her.

Siggy took it and grabbed a bundle to the front of her forehead. "Always wondered what it'd be like to have bangs…Hello, eighties." She ran the blade across the taunt hair at her brows, and she stood there in awe as she looked at her hand. Each strand of hair glowed in her hand, as if flame within thread. _So not normal…_

To her right, the pink assistant held up a box with a curled up bundle within. Siggy looked into it and spotted a haphazardly begun braid that shown with many colors and elements.

Siggy suddenly inhaled and had to physically hold back tears. She'd finally realized she was not truly alone. There were others out there like herself, who'd been abandoned in a strange world and left to survive alone.

Her amber eyes lifted to meet the Collector and she watched his pride run to the fore. He'd gathered another rarity.

"You finish this braid?" she whispered with a dark undertone, "You better be all set with the repercussions, should you actually command a group of Valkyrie doing stupid shit for you."

The Collector grinned openly and shook his head. "Ah. You sound like all the others when they offer up their hair for a boon…though not as eloquently. Braid it in."

Siggy turned her gaze back to the box and found the most recent additions to add hers to. One was a light strand set that flowed with cold and white. Another looked black and hummed with an earthy energy. She couldn't hide her smile as she weaved her heated hair in with them.

She felt something deep down, and knew this braid was no joke. Siggy and her cousins would one day have zero control over their actions for an unknowable amount of time. The thought scared her to the bone, but she was not going down without a fight.

"Done."

"The die is cast." Said the Collector. "I will send you the stone when you require it, if it is required. As for Thanos, use all of your resources to know where he'll strike first."

With that said, the assistant closed the box and left the area, while another one appeared and led them out. _I'll be back for that braid, you dick head. _She thought and followed the others to their entrance.

The little girl was no longer in the glass cage, and it made Siggy wary. What if she'd caused that?

Banner grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to keep moving. "Lets get the hell out of here."

No one said anything more as Thor called upon Heimdall and the Bifrost took them out of a living hellhole.

OOO

When they returned to the helipad, they looked at one another with levels of unease. "You know we'll get grilled on this." Bruce said.

"You mean more like _I_ will get grilled." Siggy said and rubbed her forehead, then pulled on her new bangs. "Shit."

Thor made an audible sigh, then laid a heavy hand on Siggy's shoulder once more. "It is done. Many of us make sacrifices for the better at one point. I know you are not doing this needlessly. You also learned something of yourself!"

Siggy smirked and led the way to get inside the tower. "Shit…I learned I wasted time with my dissertation rather than being a total badass and judging the recent dead for access to Valhalla."

Thor chuckled as the doors opened, and the others all suddenly barraged them with questions.

"_Fuuuck_…" Siggy hissed under breath as she pushed her way through Barton, Romanoff and Hill, before reaching Stark on the outskirts. "How about that drink?"

"Let em argue, I got your back." He replied in all seriousness as he led her to the bar. "Now, the most important question is…is this a glass or a bottle kind 'a night?"

OOO

As for the Valkyrie braid, it was another of Kresley Cole's inspirations on her Valkyrie. Seriously…read that series. -


	7. Chapter 7 Lovers of the Sun

OOO

Oh, it was a bottle night indeed…

Siggy and Tony made it to the bar in record time, followed closely by the others. Thor happily asked for a brew, but Siggy held a hand up before Stark could get him a beer. "Wait, have you had a Moose Knuckle, Thor?"

"Moose…Knuckle." The god replied vacantly and the look she shot Stark said it all. With a flurry, the two moved in unison. They pointed at others who looked dubious, taking numbers, and then got to work.

"Jarvis, get some apple ale up here." Tony said and he pulled Guinness bottles up from the cooler beneath his bar. Siggy, in turn, pulled up glasses and popped tops of the beers while Tony got a pack of the ale he'd requested in record time.

"Shots!"

Everyone was offered one, even Loki who sitting in the corner with a book. When all looked upon Siggy to initiate the first toast of the night, she grinned easily and barked, "To shitty fun-runs and surprise haircuts!"

"To runs and haircuts!"

When glass hit surface, she and Tony got back to work. She whipped a couple of tumblers in her hands, and was instantly hooted at by Clint and Tasha. "What the hell? I didn't know you could do that!" Banner said with a laugh, as Tony started blasting music around them.

"Hey, I had to pay for graduate school somehow!" she shouted across the bar to him. "Who doesn't like a redheaded bartender?"

Natasha took another of her vodka shots and lifted a finger, to signal she had a point. She took a breath after she swallowed and ignored Barton's dubious look. "I second that one, Sig. _Everybody_ likes a redhead bartender. I've played one many times, if you need the evidence." She said with a wink, "Fill that up, gingie."

Siggy smirked as she continued pouring the apple ale into glasses while snatching the bottle of vodka to refill Romanoff's shot glass. She completely upturned the bottle for a solid counted pour and offered the fresh drink with a wink in return.

Natasha gave her a genuinely warm smile and lifted her glass. "Na zdorovje!"

Siggy lifted her own whiskey glass in response so that they clinked, sipped, and she got back to work. Now was the fun part…

Siggy had the apple ales in the glasses, filled halfway, but she tilted them at such an angle that the beer threatened to spill. She slowly poured the stout Guinness into the sides so that the ales married a moment, threatening to mix just before they separated, with the heavier ale on the top.

Siggy set down one after another of the Moose Knuckles, in front of Clint, Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Maria Hill even. While the others clinked glasses, she stood at the end and poured one extra, which she leaned to set on the far end of the bar as best she could. _Drawbacks of the curse of being short, _she thought as she dug deep and prayed her tip-toes would keep her from smacking her chin on the bar.

Shed struggled so hard, but she needn't have had to in the end. A cool hand enclosed over the glass, fingers covering some of her own as their met gazes. She couldn't resist the smile that lit her face up.

"Loki…I made you one. They're really good." She said.

Loki lifted a brow and took a deep sip, to get the flavors of both levels of ale. His eyes widened and she was very much pleased by his reaction.

"Das gut?" she said in German, because she was slightly drunk and she was raised on the language.

Loki looked at her darkly and tried to pinpoint something. "You know, we all watched from here…you're what he called a pure Valkyrie. He said you needed to search for answers."

Siggy snorted at that. "Funny, it never helped me when I was a child with no one…I was damn lucky to find a family as it was." She hissed, and looked up at him with a question on her mouth, before she retracted it.

He noticed.

"Tell me." He said, no-nonsense.

"Shit, really?" she whined, and saw his serious gaze. "Fine…I was wondering how _you_ felt…to know you were adopted."

Loki frowned at that and rubbed the condensation of his glass thoughtfully. "I knew I was different but…it was a surprise to know just how much so."

"I know it…you wanted to belong. But you never did." She said, as she looked at her glass. "I felt the same with my foster mother. I loved her, _still_ love her, but it was hard to realize the life of hunting and fishing was not for me. The girls around me were married with children…I remained untouched and bitter, while my mother protected me…It was so hard to leave her behind, but it was for her own good."

Loki looked upon the woman before him and really took her in…

Her hair was limp, as if tired like herself, but it still held a residual heat that wafted to him from even with the distance of the bar. She's taken off her vest long ago, and he noticed markings, _Tattoos_, peeking out from both edges of her shoulders. Despite her over the top energy and presence, she was not a large female.

Siggy tossed a foot onto the edge of the bar as she leaned back into her tall chair, but he could see definition in both her calves and thighs. She was strong of leg verily, but she was weaker in her arms. She was toned all over, but her abdomen held no extra fat to protect her, so he wondered if she was fit there as well.

Loki knew the booze was affecting him, because he was wondering about her…he knew she wasn't the Valkyrie type he'd known for centuries. Yet here she was, petite and strong in all the right ways…a _pure_ Valkyrie.

Before he could do something stupid like drag her by the foot over the bar to test her strength in person, music boomed from the sound system above and Siggy laughed out loud from her seat.

_We'll go down in history!_

_Remember me for centuries!_

The shorter of the bartenders smiled at the lyrics and she turned to see that Tasha was a fan of the same song. Together, by the booze in their systems, they pointed at one another across the bar and hopped from their seats to do battle.

OOO

It was early morning when Loki felt Siggy shuffle up beside him on the roof. She must have felt she was gracefully sitting beside him, but she really crushed into his hip and squeezed his chest ruthlessly.

"Loki!" she said, breathlessly on his chin as she nuzzled his neck.

Despite the fact she was inebriated and likely had no idea what she was doing, Loki felt his pants tighten when her teeth met his skin for a quick nip.

"Psst! Loki!"

"What, Sigrün?" he snapped, as he heard her giggle just when her head fell back on to his legs. She lied over his lap with ease, head back and amber eyes glowing in the moonlight as they focused on his face.

"I love how you say that…" she practically hummed.

"Hm?" he barely muttered, as he watched her reach up to tug on the leather ties of his shirt, and it drew his eye to her cleavage.

She was oddly lethal to withhold, as her new claws gleamed in the light of the stars and moon. All of it aroused him…

"My name," she whispered, bringing him back to reality. "When you say my full name." She flung a leg over his shoulder while the other snatched him around the waist, dragging her hips to his abdomen. It was highly provocative, and it almost made him nervous. _Ha, almost._

Loki ran a hand up her outer thigh, finding it pleasantly taunt with muscle, before he felt just how _warm_ she was. She must have felt the opposite on her backside, due to her position, because she moaned and tried to grind down to get more of the feeling.

"Sigrün," he said, teasingly, and watched her writhe beneath his grip. It wouldn't take much, he knew, to have her pleased and panting…but he _wanted_ her. He wanted to claim her, despite the repercussions. He wanted her moaning his name, so that she would be his.

Siggy practically rolled into his cool palms as he ran them over her abdomen, to brush between her breasts. When his skin touched her collarbone her breath escaped her. She didn't expect him to actually touch her; it had a sobering effect.

She squeezed his waist with her legs so that she heard a grunt and she felt herself being dragged up. He looked positively murderous.

"I see what you're doing now…"

She shook her head as best she could with his hand on her neck. "No, I just…I didn't know what I was thinking…coming up here. I don't want to do something to you."

"Like what?" he practically hissed as he grabbed a bundle of her hair and gripped. She yelped and her hair lit up in response to the pain. Flames licked down her neck, over his hands and although he did grimace by the sharpness of the heat, he didn't let go.

"Like that!" she snapped, tears of shame and anger clouding her vision as she forcefully contained the flame once more. "I've burned every person who got too close to me." She said, as Loki loosed his grip on her hair but not her neck.

Siggy took a breath and continued quietly. "I've never been with anyone...you know that! I've pecked someone on the lips in high school, but I really hurt a couple guys while I was in college. When they wanted more than a chaste little kiss."

At the look he gave her, she sighed audibly. "In other words I haven't had sex before, let alone a damn decent kiss…Loki, it was getting to be too serious a minute ago and I really didn't want to set your whole body on fire or something."

The trickster smirked at her then, and she thought she'd die of embarrassment. Siggy had refused to utter the word virgin, but she still felt ridiculous. Now that she felt stupid, she tried to push away from him.

Loki refused to let her up and instead pulled her closer. "Let us test this. Otherwise I might think you're just trying to get away from me."

Her brows shot up to her new bangs as he moved towards her lips with purpose. Before she could utter a word to stop him, he captured her mouth and her eyes fluttered close with pleasure.

Though it was a very basic kiss, it was utterly amazing. She felt his hand release her neck at the front, but he griped her at the base of her hairline from the back. He pulled her closer still and she felt him push for access to her mouth.

Shocked, she could do nothing to stop him as his cool tongue forced into her mouth and she moaned. Instantly her hair alighted and her body temperature skyrocketed.

Siggy wanted to pull away, frightened she was hurting him, but he continued with his exploration of her mouth and their tongues danced. He forced her to forget her past experiences with his wicked assault, and before she knew it, she was dragging him down for more.

Her claws dug into Loki's shirt and she lifted a scalding hand to his neck, which elicited a shiver from him. It was so strange, the dance they were creating.

When she needed air, she pulled away as far as he would allow, and their eyes met. Loki's was still quite pale, but she caught a fleeting glimpse of blue leaving his extremities. She would ask about that later, for now her brain was too high, flooding her body with too many goodies to inquire.

He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his mussed hair before giving her a fantastic grin. "Well," he said with a deepened voice, as he reached out ran his thumb over her warm lower lip. "If I may be so bold to say, you've just seemed to have gotten kissed. Would you call it satisfactory?"

Siggy snapped shut her gaping mouth and responded with a laugh. "Oh, um, well yes most satisfactory." She said, just as the sun hit the horizon and lit up the morning. "Opps…" She uttered and looked back to him. Well, its obviously morning now...so, I suppose that was an _entirely_ satisfying kiss, Loki."

He smirked and let her stand up, then watched her lazily stretch in the sun before she offered a hand to him. "You know if Stark gets wind of this he'll never shut up about it."

OOO


	8. Chapter 8 Leave Me Cold

Siggy hadn't gotten much sleep that morning; she was too busy tossing, turning and thinking about a certain _someone_.

So, she got out of bed with a groan. Instead of walking around like a banshee in her old robe, she decided to wear some black leggings and a baggy, long sleeved shirt. Before she left her room, she plopped on a chair to pull on her hiking boots.

"Heh, going on a hike." She said to Ulfur as he low-crawled near, to pull on her shoelaces. "You're going to be so bored here, aren't you boy?" He _rooed_ at her and panted in answer.

"Silly," she said as she finished lacing her boots. "Well, lets see what the game plan is. But first, to the coffee!"

OOO

Siggy yawned as she shuffled into the common room with Ulfur at her heels, fully intending to head to the coffee pot. She was just pulling her hair into a scrunchie when Tony verbally pelted her from across the room.

"Morning sleepy head! Guess you had some fun last…oh wait, this morning I guess."

Siggy jumped and looked up to see Stark and Pepper, bearing mimosas. Thor and Loki were across from them looking serious, beside a couple of women she knew from photos as Dr. Foster and her assistant.

Siggy nearly snarled for her answer at Tony's subtle, yet pointed remark. "Ugh, last I checked it's only 10, Mr. Narcissist, and you went to bed just before I did. So what does that make you?"

"A day drinker." Tony offered and sipped his mimosa while the conversation around him continued.

She ignored Loki's pointed gaze, and chose to focus all her energy into the coffee pot beyond. "I hope nobody minds my manners, but I _need_ some coffee. Pretty much stat." she said.

One of the new comers, the dark haired woman in a beanie, groaned loudly at her, "Oh my god, _thank you_!" She trailed Siggy and they moved to the back.

The redhead had to literally push Loki to the side to get through the entrance between the bar and the kitchen. She did so without holding back, but gave him a smirk. He replied with a dark look in his eye that told her she'd see him soon enough.

"_Sweet_…Take that Lerki!" barked the assistant.

Siggy thought she might already like this one. "How do you take your coffee?" she asked as she started preparing the beans for grinding.

"I take some coffee with my sugar." The bundled woman said as she leaned her arms onto the countertop.

"Gotcha." Siggy said with a grin and begun the process. "I'm Sigrün, by the way, but call me Siggy!" she shouted over the grind.

"Darcy! I'm with Jane over there, mooning over her mammoth boyfriend!"

Siggy glanced over and noticed the small brunette molded into Thor's impressive form. She immediately smirked and stopped the processor, flipped it and smacked the top to get every delicious grain.

"Yeah, get some a that."

Siggy looked up and got a read on the girl fairly easily. She saw much by seeing personalities, from 8 years in university and her own stint mentoring students. "You're a science major…but not a _science_ major."

Darcy's eyes widened and she threw her hands in the air. "Yes! Why the hell don't these flippin' physicists get it? _Social_ science is still a science! High five, bro!" They laughed together and smacked palms.

"Gotta love bonding." Darcy said as Siggy started the coffee pot. "So what do you do? And after we hear that, what are you in for in this hizzle?"

Siggy smirked as she watched the machine finish up in record time. "Gotta love Stark machines." She muttered and pulled out several creamers along with the sugar jar. "I'm a forensic anthropologist to universities, but I do archaeology whenever they invite me to a dig."

"Yikes, I hate people…and camping. " Darcy said and put spoon after spoon of sugar, with just a dash of cream.

"Trust me…I don't really like dealing with people in general, but it's not so bad. It gets easier to have a little bit of people time in and then a boat load of lab work to follow." Siggy said. "As for your latter question, I'm supposed to be here on Anthro business, but that's not completely true."

Before Darcy could reply, Loki appeared behind Siggy and took the words out of the assistant's mouth. She watched helplessly as the crazy-ass god reached his deviant hand over Siggy's throat…to take the warm cup from her.

"What in the fuck?" Darcy whispered to herself and stared at the two. Sigrün rolled her eyes at his thievery, then casually made herself another cup before turning and leaning against the counter. Loki stood across from her, all tall and freaky looking, but they just sipped quietly and watched one another.

_Like serial killers…_

With that thought, Darcy grabbed her cup and moved back over to Jane and the others as quietly and quickly as she dared.

Siggy shook her head and loaded him with a silly grin once they were alone. "Did you sleep?"

"As much as you." Loki responded, and took a deep sip of his coffee. _Oh, you slick bastard…_

"You weren't watching me, were you?" she said quietly, though there was mischief in her eyes.

"I might have been." He said as he set his empty cup down. Loki watched her, in triumph, as she gave him a tiny glimpse of her emotions. The tips of her hair glowed blue for an instant, but she contained the flame before it erupted. "You're getting better at that, little Valkyrie."

She couldn't help but blush at his praise, but their time was interrupted.

"Loki!"

The two looked over at Thor, who was now holding his Jane with worry. The darker brother pushed from the counter, reluctantly, and went over to see what the fuss was about.

Once he was near, the thunder god continued. "We must go back to Asgard, brother. Jane…she's…we don't know what's going on, but it is not good. Father will know what we should do. There is dark energy within Jane, and I worry for her safety."

Loki gritted his teeth, knowing what this meant for himself. "First off, Odin is _not_ my father…as he made perfectly clear." The god ignored his brother's saddened gaze, and continued. "Secondly, I'll be imprisoned once again…though I suppose one is the same as another. Lead the way if you must. We both know this little detour has only been an extension on my life granted by Frigga. No one expected me to be rehabilitated anyway."

Thor visibly grit his teeth and closed his hands into fists before turning to Stark. They quietly discussed their imminent departure while Loki turned and looked for Siggy.

She was pouring another cup of coffee, without expression on her face, carefully schooled. Then she tried to hightail it to the far corner toward the patio, while Ulfur leapt for the paper in her hand.

Loki watched her bop the beast on the nose gently as she opened the glass door, allowing Ulfur to race away for the chance to relive himself. She soon disappeared into the cushions of her favorite oversized chair on the veranda. The only evidence of her presence was the steam from her mug, wafting up into the air.

Loki tried pouring another cup, mimicking Siggy's actions to fix it up. However, he took a testing sip and nearly choked on the unexpected result. He set the abysmal concoction down before moving over to the patio doors.

Their leaving would be a fast transition, he knew, due to the overly curious doctor's condition. Himself, his brother and Foster would be gone within the hour. Thusly, the trickster god had no time to delicately let his new favorite pastime know they couldn't continue the back and forth. He enjoyed the fiery woman, both her attitude and her burning warmth. To keep her from giving up on him, he had to think on his toes…

Loki found her tinkering with a tiny electronic pad in her chair; cup of coffee long gone, like he knew it would be.

"I tried to make you one." He muttered and she jumped in her seat, whipping her head around to look up at him. "Shit!" she hissed and snapped a hand to her neck. "Damn it!"

"You're so _very_ elegant and well spoken, woman." He said as he sat on the edge of the table before her. She gave a very unladylike snort in response and poked with her claws into the back of her neck.

"You're an ass." She said and ran her fingers through her hair; fidgeting. "Don't sneak up on people."

Loki tried to contain his grin and look serious. "I understand," he said, "I should make amends." With a quick movement, he nudged her to the edge of the seat.

Siggy frowned because she'd just warmed the cushions, but her jaw dropped from surprise when she felt his left leg slid along her own. Before she could process _that_, she felt his right leg do the same on the outside of her other leg. Lastly, his cool chest met her back.

Siggy physically had to control her eyelids from fluttering shut with pleasure, although she was trying to remain pissed. "Did you just commandeer my chair?"

Before she could try and jump away, Loki's hands began working magic on her neck. She moaned, soft as a kitten, and gave herself to his hands at work.

He pushed the tips of his fingers into her warm skin, absorbing her heat while he transferred his coolness. "_Mmmm_…" she hummed, and lazily dropped her hand against his thigh.

When Siggy felt him give a little shiver, she looked back at him through her messy bangs. "There is no way I make you cold, Loki, that's your forte. Although I'm not complaining…_I like it_." She said with a smirk.

He smiled at her inquiry, genuinely smiled, and it momentarily took her words away. "I know it, Sigrün" He reached out and rushed her bangs with his cool fingers. "I realize there is a _little_ room for something other than anger in my life." He said with a look that made her roll her eyes. "I do hope I can remember this while I'm imprisoned." He whispered.

Before she could question his words, Loki lowered his lips to hers, silencing her before she could speak. Even at their odd angle, he made it work _very_ well. He pulled her up against his chest, with his hand over her neck, all consuming as she molded to him.

It was a moment later when Siggy felt a rigid length resting against her hip. He was rather gentlemanly about it though, she thought, _He shows just how capable he is to take, but he still waits for me to catch up…_

His mouth was cool upon her mouth, yet she was warm as ever and soon she felt that length against her backside get warm. Siggy wondered, vaguely, if they would remain the same in another situation…maybe if they tired the next level? She would not know very soon, because Jarvis's voice interrupted them. It was time.

Siggy was rudely snapped out of her lust, and she sighed with regret. She accidently brushed her palm upon the trickster god's pants as she tried to get some distance to cool off. She smiled at him innocently, when he hissed at the contact.

Loki smirked and brought his hand up to cup her chin. "You are completely unforgiven, my Valkyrie. You owe me for such an embarrassing situation."

At his words, Siggy giggled quickly, with tears that threatened her eyes and sobered her up. "How long?" she whispered, with a sense of loss. "Shit...forever right?"

Loki frowned and looked down at her hands, before brushing her hair back. "It depends on what the Allfather wishes, Sigrün."

She shook her head and looked out into the sky. "I wish we had more time…I'm not going to lie, Loki. I wanted to try for, um…well, the fun stuff. Maybe you won't burst into flames or something, heh." She felt like she had shoved her foot in her damn mouth and she looked away.

His fingertips came under her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. "You know you affect me, woman…but you most definitely do not know how much." He snatched the pendant around her neck and squeezed until blood dripped down his fist.

"Loki!" she snapped and moved to him stop him, but he raised a hand and held up a small knife. "Cut yourself with this, Sigrün. Think of me when you do." He said.

Her eyes lifted to Loki and she frowned, raising an eyebrow in question. _God damnit, you're too trusting, Smalls, _she thought fleetingly, but did as she was told.

She was about to slide the blade over her palm, but he covered her hand and helped her make the cut. Despite the fact she was _cutting her palm on command_, it was oddly sensual. The blade felt cold in the chill of the morning and it was gently run over her skin. When she undulated toward him and gasped with surprise, he was quite nearly undone.

With a grunt, Loki cleared his throat and he pushed Siggy back into the now cool seat, before he pressed their bloodied palms together.

"I must go to my prison now, Sigrün…I will come to you if I ever can." He held her eyes for as long as he could, before Thor's thundering yell through the glass forced him to move.

Siggy was left in a stupor as Loki left her. Numbly, she looked down at her palm and the mix of blood painting it. With a sigh, she leaned back into the chair and brought her legs up to her chest.

When Ulfur ran up to her, she was gripping her bloody hand around the blade she'd been left with.


	9. Chapter 9 Searching For A Spitfire

_8 months later…_

Loki didn't even bother sitting on the throne much anymore. It was quite boring. Instead he lied on the floor behind it, his illusion up and active in his stead. To all, the Allfather Odin was sitting calm and fearsome in the seat of the throne.

Loki brought his sight back from the search for Sigrün. He had no way of finding her, unless he had some help. Their blood-bond let him find her easily and speak to her; in theory…but really only if he had an idea of her location.

However, right when he was brought back with Thor, he was imprisoned and soon after lost his mother…much by his own folly, he painfully knew.

After that horrible time, he'd gone with Thor to assist with getting Jane free of the Ether. His brute of a brother had been successful, but Loki had "died" in the process.

Unfortunately, news of his fake death had reached Sigrün long before he had the means of catching her first. If she hadn't left the tower, he would have been able to reach her, to tell her he lived. Hel, if she'd stayed in the damn city, he would have found her!

Yet months ago, she disappeared from the tower and it was completely out of his ability to find her.

Loki would have to enlist help from someone who would not blow his cover. He was still technically king, even with his illusions; his brother had given up the throne and he was an Odinson, despite his true heritage.

Plain and simple, Loki was the only one keeping Asgard under a steady rule. He needed help from someone who could see farther than he, but also had the better interest of Asgard in his top priorities.

With a grimace, Loki knew he'd have to go see Heimdall. "Shit." He uttered and raised himself from the chilled tiles._ Ever cold_…he thought.

He hadn't known warmth since his little spitfire had left his life. He would do _anything_ to have her back under his control, even deal with a person he hated to do so.

_ooo_

Siggy cursed as the jeep hit another large rock in the road, which dislodged her aux cable from the haphazard radio setup. It had been a good-travels gift from the family they'd lodged with a week ago; the kid was a genius though, don't get her wrong. You can't ask for a better option when all you had was Bulgarian radio for two months straight…_a two whole months_ without her beloved music.

"Oh come on!" she barked and her partner in the passenger seat laughed aloud at her distress.

"Give it up, Red," said the slim woman as she expertly scribbled along in her notebook and tablet, despite the precarious ride. "You may as well give up."

"Never, Sam." Siggy nearly snarled at the radio as she fished for the cable once more, and connected it. Fiddles, drums and guitars erupted once more in a fast beat and she sighed with relief.

"Flogging Molly is so early 2000's." Sam said with a sly look, though the missile did not connect. Siggy was too pleased and deep into her music.

"_So when you get to heaven, May the devil be your judge!_" She sang shrilly and her companion winced.

"Can we listen to like, Lindsey Stirling or something? At least there aren't a lot of lyrics for you to—

"_Drown me with yer ROAR!_"

"Damn it!" they heard from the back. An immensely muscular man sat up and pulled an earbud free. "I swear to the gods you two…Siggy, finish up and switch it over."

They met gazes in the rearview mirror, and she smirked. "Hear you loud and clear, Jonnie. Sorry about that, Sam."

"Thank god." The other woman said and got back to her notes. "I'm working on the grid plans for the site so I need a good vibe going."

Not a moment later, guitar rhythms began and both Siggy and Jonnie began rocking to the beat. Sammie shook her head and her eyes widened with disbelief as she literally tossed her pencil out the window of the jeep.

"_Ooooooooh Barracudaaaa!"_

_ooo_

Loki had a hard time convincing Heimdall to help him. At first he tried to intimidate. "It will be useless and painful to fight me," he began, to no avail. Then he'd said it was in the Guardian's best interest, _for now_. But that did not sway him whatsoever.

Only when Loki dropped his illusions and appeared, in the flesh, before the god, was he given a true and fair judgment.

"Loki Odinson, for your act of searching to benefit someone other than yourself, I shall help you. Your Valkyrie…she's kept herself busy to point that she's unhealthy. She was broken when she heard of your death, but since that time she has tried to push it away…along with her refusal to access emotions and fear that she's threaded to your memory. Tread lightly with her."

Those were the Guardian's last words before he gave Loki an image of her location on Midgard…and that was all it took.

_At last…_

Once back in the safety of his rooms, he dug deeply and relentlessly for her image. He needn't have bothered.

Once he'd known her position, down to the very country, he was able to focus in on her aura with ease. It had been so long, even 8 months for a god such as he felt like a lifetime. When his illusion materialized for him, it was at the edge of a large blue tarp. As if by clockwork he spotted the wee spitfire through the eyes of his illusion.

Sigrün walked towards him in the same beat up hiking boots he'd last seen her wear in person. She was also much more sun-kissed. Her legs and arms looked lightly bronzed, but despite that healthy glow she still looked…off. Like she was struggling with her energy.

Still, despite Sigrün's emotional state, her body was actually very strong. She moved forward over the wild grasses with ease as she lifted shaded spectacles onto her face.

She heaved a canvas bag over her shoulder and hopped a grouping of rocks just before she walked into his invisible illusion.

"Siggy!" she was hollered at from her caravan and stopped short to look back. Loki hissed with frustration on his end as Asgard. If she'd gone a foot further, she would have walked into his spell and thusly would have connected with him just enough so that she could see and talk to his illusions. He could tell her he was alive.

Yet there she was, being irritatingly yelled at by a tall woman near the vehicle that Sigrün had just exited. "Hey! Did you want PB&amp;J or, like, something else?"

"I just want some hardtack…maybe an apple. I'm ready to get to work on this so dirt is gonna basically become a condiment at this point."

Heimdall's words repeated in his head, so Loki decided her wanted to gauge the situation before interrupting her work. What if she reacted badly from him distracting her from something she'd obviously invested her energy into?

Decidedly, Loki moved his illusion to the far side and watched her get to work.

_ooo_

Siggy grabbed an end of the tarp, along with Jonny's help, and they rolled it back. "Those fuckers." She snapped, and they heard a howl from up the hill. _"Language!"_

"Shit, how hard is it to make sure all the debris and dirt is gone?" Siggy asked Jonnie, blatantly ignoring Sam.

"No respect." He said, shaking his head with disappointment, as he watched her carefully maneuver the visible bones and working areas.

"Damn" she said wistfully, with a small smile. "How in the hell did the Thracians get these enormous war-horses into this pit, keep them on their feet during the burial, and kill them at the perfect moment so their heads were just malleable to position the exact same…personally, such a waste. I love animals, there's no need for this."

Jonnie scratched his chest and shook his head. "That is true, but they also held their horses in high regard. To them is was a huge honor to the great beasts that bore them. I'm sure they were drugged, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to be buried like this."

Siggy smirked at her partner. "There you go, Jon, spouting reasonable knowledge and shit…though I am glad to hear it. I hate digging up animal remains...but it's more fun than sitting around doing nothing."

"Hey, what happened with that? I thought you were doing a covert case study right before you came out with us." Jonnie inquired as they rolled out their canvas tool kits and got to work. He removed a tiny specialty toothbrush, and though it contrasted with his sheer size, he wielded it like a surgeon.

"I was," Siggy said as she leaned over the site with an immense camera and took a few photos before setting it down and joining into the meticulous dig. "I just…I lost someone. Twice, it feels like…because once was a goodbye and the last was…" Siggy suddenly attacked a dirt mound with her brushes and said nothing more on the subject. "And then there was nothing for a couple months and I was getting antsy."

Jonnie said nothing more on it as Sam appeared above them with lunch and snacks. "Looks like we're still early, but the other crew will be here soon to sink their little paws into this dig."

Siggy smirked at the prospect of a competition as she and Jonnie got into their work even harder; nothing like a little friendly competition. Plus she could tell them to clean the site up better next time…

_ooo_

It had not been anything close to a competition. It had been a goddamn shut out.

Hours later, Siggy was sitting in the back of the jeep ripping jerky bites with her teeth whilst staring angrily at the group below. They had actually been Bulgarian government-funded archaeologists and not their second team. The bastards had shown up with police and paperwork authorizing their hold before taking over the dig.

"Almost a year of searching for funding…" Jonnie spat. "The planning to even get here, paperwork…months of digging in the toilet."

"I don't know how the hell this happened under our noses," Sam said as she pulled their huge rolling packet of files and pictures to her side possessively. "But they do not have our preliminary work and all the evidence we've gained. They're on their own for typography and the strata levels. Hope they have fun piecing together decay data."

"Their data _will_ be incomplete without it," Jonnie said and patted Siggy's shoulder; he could practically feel her anger simmering at the fore. She ran hot even on a good day.

"I know it, and we haven't lost this. It's a fight they want, they won this time. But we'll win the war." She said and hopped off the jeep's tailgate. "When we get back to our home-bases I start processing the data, Sam and I will bounce notes. Jonnie, you should get with Rodge and the other two so we can start cataloging bones and cleaning up the artifacts. When this bitch is ours again, and it will be, you all know where to reach me."

"Yep yep," Sam said as they began packing it in. "I don't know why you don't just stay put in New York and take on that teaching job you were offered."

"Ha," Siggy said with a snort and loaded the camera equipment in alongside Jonnie and the amount of material they'd gathered that day. "I like being isolated up there, with my mom and my dogs. That way I get my research done."

"And frostbite." Jonnie added in.

"Hey, I _like_ the cold, okay?"

"Well considering you seem to heat up the jeep all on your own, I'll take your word for it." Sam said with a laugh and saw Siggy's frown. "Hey, I sure as hell don't mind! Remember Romania a few years ago?"

Jonnie shook his head. "You know, if I didn't know any better, that would have sounded more interesting that I know it was."

"Perv." Sam said and hoped into the truck with her bundle of electronics and books.

Siggy grinned at him and they high fived after closing up the back of the vehicle. "All right, call it in to the others. I'm sure they were intercepted and are already back at the inn. We need tickets out of here stat. One can only take the coffee here for so long…"

With that, she started the jeep and immediately blasted "White Wedding" by Billy Idol, much to Sam's delight.

_ooo_

Back in Asgard, Loki had formulated a plan. He would not lose his hold on her again, but he could not interrupt her around her peers. She'd be spitting mad, he was sure. Something told him her knowledge at his not-being-dead- dilemma isn't going to be a calm situation.

Decidedly, he moved to the throne once more and sat to contemplate. He would find her at her mysterious home, and until then, he can figure out how to get his hands on her once again.


	10. Chapter 10 Flying Home

Loki followed her trek across the world. Sigrün had made it to Amsterdam, where she stayed a few days with her colleagues before they all parted ways. She'd hopped on a red eye and made it to Ireland with another lay over for two days, where she stayed alone in a bed and breakfast.

He oddly found his time watching Sigrün to be…therapeutic. He'd had nothing, no contact with anyone, besides the idiots who interacted with the Allfather illusion daily. Loki found that watching her was a fine distraction when he had time between his responsibilities. He knew she'd be what mortals phrased as "_pissed_ _off_" if she had an idea he was peeking in on her life but it was worth the risk.

He knew much about her mannerisms because of the months spent around her, but he didn't know just how differently she acted was when she was alone. _Or believed she was. _

The sudden vision of her in tiny shorts and thin shirts nearly undid him as she waltzed out of the shower with her laptop on blast with horrid music. He also now knew she was prone to breaking out in ridiculous dances when a song came upon her.

Sigrün once bopped around the tiny room to a random beat with lyrics that simply repeated "_Lollipop lollipop lolli lollipop lollipop! Apple, lollipop lollipop….Ba dum dum dum…_" The low, provocative wiggle she'd made with her hips at the end? He had to leave her alone for a while and walk off an unexpected hard-on.

Loki could tell she was trying to stall with her trip. Because it was easier for mortals to travel in this age, he knew she was purposely taking her time getting to wherever her home was. He was hoping he could see where, to anticipate her destination, but she didn't have papers like most of the other passengers. She used her phone and scanned her way onto each flight.

Finally, after days of relaxing for her and sexual frustration for Loki, she finally worked toward the last leg of her trip.

Siggy made it to the Fairbanks airport, jetlagged and beyond ready to be home. She had one more stop, or so she hoped. If not, her ride back to Fort Y would be Jake and his flying pack of gum with a motor strapped to it. Then they'd have to stop at Birchcreek for supplies or fuel. By supplies she meant some oddball gift for her mom.

See, Jake really liked Franziska but odd postcards from gas stations in one-malamute towns were probably not a European-breed woman's idea of super romantic. Still, Franzi was kind and graciously accepted the silly cards. Come to think of it they were, in fact, saved and displayed on the mantel in the den.

_Huh..._

Siggy shrugged it off as she snagged a lox and caper bagel from the vendor and pounded pavement to her "terminal" if you could call it that. No nice seating at her gate because there were only three in the whole airport and hers was labeled C. She went over to the area anyhow and was spotted by the young attendant, who sat looking bored.

"Hi!" The teen hopped to her feet and smiled, thankful for the sudden distraction. "You must be Sig…um, Sigrum."

"Sigrün, just call me Siggy."

With relief, the girl repeated the name then asked for identification, quickly determining this was her last passenger for the night. "Great! If you're ready the pilot is already here. I'll radio them if you like?"

"No need, I see them right out there. Looks like final checks to me. I don't want the engine to get too cold. Thanks for the help, Hun. Have a good night."

"Thanks! Safe flight!"

Siggy dragged along her rolling bag of research and heaved up her laptop bag before pushing open the door to the tarmac. A gust of cold wind hit her face, and though the girl behind her shivered, the redhead lifted her chin with welcome.

Siggy adored the coolness that hit her hair, though it was nowhere near the delicious cold Loki had made her feel. She felt a dull pain begin to boil inside and frowned. To most, that would sound horrible: to be made cold by your would-be lover. To her it was a refreshing and went so deep into her skin that it'd felt so intimate.

"Um, Ms. Siggy?"

She was snapped out of her grief and looked back to the poor shivering teen. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

With a jolt, she kicked the door shut against the wind and rushed over to the figure near the plane. "Wondered how long you were gonna stand there and orgasm in the cold…"

"Kirima!" Siggy screamed and raced across the cold ground. "You bitch!" she howled as she met the pilot in a big, mutual hug.

"Truthful though am I right?" The doe-eyed native woman said with a grin. "How was the dig?"

"Ugh," Siggy groaned. "I'll tell you on the way…I was expecting Jake, though! You're so much better to look at…"

"Ha! He's down with the flu."

"Thank god."

"Franzi was asking when you'd be there so I told her as soon at I snagged you up." Kirima said. "Are you ready to go home?"

"Oh yeah." Siggy said and they moved at once, the pilot to the bright red bird and she to the bags she'd abandoned.

When the engine hopped to life and the props began spinning a steady song, Siggy had already stuffed her gear behind her seat and jumped in. A moment later she was passed a head set so they could speak during the flight. She jerked in her seat when Kirima gasped and stared at her.

"Surely you don't expect me to fly this plane?" the pilot barked with a shocked gaze.

Deadpan, Siggy responded, "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley."

They held their expressions for only a few moments before they gave into grins and laughed just as the plane glided into movement. "Oh Airplane jokes…you get me every single time." Siggy said and leaned back in her seat.

"Hardtack?" Kirima said, and offered bag of dried meat just as they gained some speed.

"Elk?" at the nod she received, Siggy made an exaggerated groan. "I should just marry you."

"Many have tried." The pilot retorted as the plane bounced into the air with ease. "Now, I fought to take your flight, you human space-heater. Warm this cockpit up!"

Siggy said with a full mouth, "I knew you only wanted me for this body."

Because of the near-constant sun during late summer in Alaska, Siggy was feeling more-than-horrible jet lag. She wanted nothing but her bed because it was 2 am, and the sun was still out.

The hum of the engine did nothing to lull her. Then again, the last few times she'd flown was just after it was safe-ish to fly. The world was dark for the residents of Fort Yukon then. It was rare for her to fly in a safe time.

She always seemed to be rushing to something, somewhere, elsewhere. Now she just wanted to be home, in the safety of the cold she'd come to embrace. When her mother had seen her so deep in grief the past winter, she'd been unable to bear the looks and misunderstandings. She'd fled at the first go-ahead for travel with a job lined up.

Now she was back and hopeful. She smiled to herself as her town came into view.

"Miss it?"

"More and more every time I leave." She said to Kirima. They had time to catch up on the ride from Fairbanks. Sure, it was hard to keep in contact with their schedules, but they'd been friends since children so they fell right back into their rhythm.

Kirima also knew why Siggy didn't need jackets in the cold, and why the woman was ridiculously excited for the first fall of snow. Not to mention that the redhead, especially while camping, made the best fires.

Finally, the tires bounced on the tarmac and they made the crawl to the end of the runway. Soon they slowed down and Kirima led the plane into her garage. "Last flight for a week, my love," she said. "I took a couple days off so we can get belligerently drunk and recover."

"Ah, you know the way to my heart!" Siggy announced as she removed the headpiece and stowed it away with Kirima's. "Did you spot mom?"

"No, but I thought I saw the dogs."

"No!" Siggy barked and snatched her bags. "I hope you don't think I'm dine-n-dashing, but I have to see Ulfur!"

With a smile, the pilot shook her head. "Go see your brat-dog."

Siggy struggled with her heavy rolling notes, but they did cooperate and keep up with her impressive pace. Her laptop bag stabbed her hip but she ignored it and ran across the quickly icing asphalt towards the grouping of dogs. That meant her mom and cousin were there waiting for her.

"Ulfur!" she screeched and her big beastly pet tackled her with all his eighty pounds.

"_Hurenshon!_" Siggy heard and she shouted back in German.

"_Mama! Waren sind Sie wach_?" she howled past the licks of her wolf dog.

"She refused to sleep knowing you were coming home, even if it was this early." Siggy's cousin interjected from her head. He was an average sized young man with olive skin and rich black hair. He was the son of Franzi's brother, who had married a Native Alaskan woman thirty years back. Both had long passed, but Franzi had moved in, with Siggy as a babe, to raise him.

"Hey Kurt! You big ass-hat!" Siggy shouted from under the attentions of her wolf dog. "Help?"

With a laugh, the man leaned over and pulled the beast off his cousin. "Hey Sig, good to see you! You look like shit besides the tan."

"Thanks!" she hissed as he pulled her to her feet. A moment ticked by, and she caved.

Siggy lunged into Kurt's obvious bear hug and they squeezed each other to bits.

"Shit!" Kurt barked. "Uncle!"

With a grin, Siggy released him and he shook out his arms to get feeling back. "What the hell, woman? Working out?"

"Nope." She said as her mother moved over to greet her. "You're just a damn puss."

Finally, Siggy made it into her own home. Upon her insistence years before, she had her own cabin built…very nearly next to her mother's. She had originally wanted to be down the road, but Franzi wanted her very close in the rare times when she was home.

"_Bitte, mein baby-Madchen…_" her mother had pleaded gently, so Siggy gave up being roads away. Though she did take a consolation….only their "backyards" were connected. There weren't yards where they were from in Alaska. They could literally use flashlights in code to talk to one another through their kitchen windows.

Siggy sighed and knew it was for her mother. Her only solace was that she had a bunch of trees between her two family members, or a bad snow, which could make three feet seem like an ocean separating them.

She'd had a good time with her mom and cousin that night though. They'd stayed up until the sun went away, and then it was decided to take advantage of the hours of darkness. "_Guten naught, mien lieben_." Her mother had uttered, just before she kissed her daughter goodnight.

Then her cousin stepped up with a grin. "Officially fall next week…you gonna date any one ever?" he asked as he hugged Siggy tightly.

"You gonna ask out that girl at the general store, finally?" she retorted.

"Ha!" Kurt said and pulled back, red in the face. "Touché. Fine you got me. Night cuz."

"Night." she said and closed the back door to the main house. Ulfur was right at her heels as they moved toward her own cold house. A wee Chihuahua would not be happy in her icy abode, but her wolf dog was.

Outside, the night was quiet and the cold ground crunched under her boots. Her bag rolled over the frigid blades of grass as she went, and she felt a little bad at the damage she was making. She pulled the heavy thing up, carrying it awkwardly at her hip.

Siggy thought of her cousin as she moved. _He should marry that girl, _she thought. It'd been years of tiptoeing around the poor thing and she was the sweetest little woman with an adorable face. Siggy knew he wanted to call her his wife. _He should marry, _she thought,_ he _is_ getting older, that is true._ He was older than she by a few years. _As it was, _she thought darkly.

Siggy knew she was going to live a long life. She understood that even though she's been fighting through ridiculous ventures, she would live for a very long time. Her entire small family would be long gone before she got a single gray hair on her head.

The thought made her nearly quake with fear.

Siggy finally fell into her cool bed, blankets freshly set by the maid she'd paid to care for her mother and her own home, during her absence. Truth be told, it would be a hovel of dust no matter, because the redhead had other things to worry about than an asthma attack.

Siggy closed her eyes and listened to Ulfur's snores as she relaxed. She'd felt so calm being home that she easily fell into the trance before sleep.

Her skin was still hot as ever, but a slight coolness rolled over her arm, _Like a ghost_, she thought.

Siggy lifted up to look around "Stupid..." she said aloud. Then just as quickly she met with a wave of pure energy. She inhaled and was struck with images of Loki, his emotions and presence…just not the cold she remembered.

The redhead gasped with fear and backed into the headboard of her bed, clutching a knee to her chest. She found herself staring at the face of a ghost….


	11. Chapter 11 Poking the Flames

Siggy leaned back against her bed frame, starring at the form of Loki dressed in leather armor. Except it wasn't him…

She frowned and held a hand out towards his visage, sensing for coolness. "You're his ghost…or some ass-hat trying to mess around with my emotions! Be gone demon!" she screeched.

With that done, and no disappearing semi-there Loki, she began tearing up. "That works in the movies…" she whined and shrank into her own hug.

The Loki person shifted towards her. "Sigrün, it _is_ me. I didn't actually die."

"Y-you...?"

"I pretended to."

At his words, her eyes widened and her skin paled.

"That's right!" he whispered, happy she understood so quickly. He was worried she'd be upset. "I knew I would only be imprisoned once more after helping Thor with the Ether, so I showed him I died with an illusion."

When he finished speaking, no sooner did his mouth close that Siggy's open palm was flying through the air. When her hand flew threw his head she'd helplessly followed her wild swing throughout. Sprawled on her bed, she glared up at him with tears stinging her eyes.

"You fucking asshole." She hissed and her hair lighted with her rage.

Loki frowned. "I don't know why you're so angry."

"_Angry?_" she snapped and stood up on the mattress. "And you 'wouldn't know _why'?_" When he took that as a queue to remain wisely silent, his only shook his head in reply. She nearly pitied him. _Nearly…_

"Well then! Where to begin? How about I mourned you for nearly a year?" she hissed, when she saw a slight tightness rise to his jaw, she plowed on. "I thought you were dead! I get there wasn't much between us, except for some very nice chemistry, but a girl has the right to know when a guy- _correction_\- the_ only _guy she could ever potentially fuck decides to never tell her he was in fact _not dead_ _on an asteroid!"_

Loki sat, dumfounded, and watched her rage above him. As she howled, her body grew hotter, and he swore he could even feel a little of her on Asgard through his illusion. He knew then that there was no way to appease her through his illusions.

"Sigrün…" he said and she looked down at him through brilliant amber eyes, filled with tears. It broke some small piece deep inside him. "I _am_ alive. I rule Asgard now…it's…it is complicated though."

"You mean its all lies." She hissed and fell to her butt, her fight dissipating as she dragged her knees to her chest. Her hair turned a deep, low blue, and it hit him somewhere hard in the chest. He realized it was...regret.

Loki took a breath and tried to placate her. "I rule it in place of Odin now. That is truth. I suppose I shant lie, at least not to you." At her _no shit_ look he continued. "It was fortuitous, but I did not expect Odin to succumb to the sleep so easily. But I took advantage without thought…that is the truth."

Siggy shook her head and looked out her window. "I don't _feel_ you." She whispered after a long beat of silence.

"I feel as you do." He said, longingly. "I _cannot_ feel you within my illusions."

"You're not even really here?" She cried out then and fell into a nearby pillow. "Just go, Loki!" she yelled, muffled by the cotton. "I can't touch you to even hit you properly!"

"Sigrün…."

"GO!" she snapped and lifted up to shout at him. Her hair blew into red flame once more, and the liquid rage trailed down her arms threateningly.

Loki frowned and nodded. "I leave you then, my Valkyrie."

When he was gone, Siggy broke down and burst into hot tears. When she heard a hiss she screamed and threw the now singed pillow away from her.

The emptiness she'd tried to bury away was aching thrust back through the barriers she placed around it, now that he was gone once again. It was merely a tease; it had been so long.

Why didn't he just show himself in the flesh? Now she was left wondering if it was truly him or just a sad lie of her own psyche. Her shoulders slumped immediately even as she though that. Yes, he showed himself as figment of her own overworked, overstressed, homesick, lovesick addled brain...

She cried herself to sleep that night.

Siggy woke with a start, trapped by hot sheets and dried tears that had coated her face. After glancing at a nearby mirror, she looked like a drowned cat as she crawled from her bed. She hadn't really slept and felt so exhausted…

She shuffled to the bathroom and nearly melted under the cool water of her waterfall shower, slowly breathing beneath the stream. It took a good long time for her to accept her surroundings, rebounding from her dream, but she didn't use up any heat.

Siggy kept the temperature on cold the entire time during her shower, and she leaned into the stone tiles after a time. _That was a dream…_she thought with a sigh.

She normally drank before bed, but the night before she hadn't had anything. Her drinking had spiraled out of control the past winter. It helped her push away her grief, yet it had gotten to the point where if she looked down at the scare on her hand she would burst into tears. It reminded her of the loss of Loki, so she'd promptly open a bottle and drown in her pain.

Siggy had stopped drinking recklessly when her mom found her in the cold running shower, after having lied there for hours. The symptoms of withholding alcohol before bed had dreams come at her in full force when she didn't pass out every night. Over time, she contained them by having a glass or two before bed.

_It was a dream_ she thought again. Even though she had been angry during it, she still felt pain, knowing it was just that…_a dream_.

Siggy got out of the shower reluctantly, and dried off. She looked into the mirror and noticed her dark eyes. With what she saw, she frowned and sighed before brushing her thick hair out and leaving it alone. She'd found, as a freshman in high school, that she could dry it instantly with a "flame-on", as Kurt liked to call it.

However, she noticed it was softer after it air-dried when she didn't use that tactic. So Siggy avoided flaming it up as much as she could. Even if her hair was a veritable bon-fire at will or not, more often, she was still a woman. She allowed a little bit of vanity about her red locks. The little granny who fawned over her in town didn't need to know she could light someone's cigarette with it...

Siggy sailed out of the bathroom, feeling a little more rejuvenated by the shower, but she was in desperate need of coffee. Thankfully her mom made the very best, so she headed that way.

She pulled on fresh undies, dragged on black house shorts and added a bra in case a neighbor was over. She nabbed a baggy old university shirt and left the room, with Ulfur padded happily behind.

Siggy made it to the first floor, ignored her empty kitchen, and went right to the front door as she grabbed her laptop bag. Before opening the door, she slipped on some brown rabbit fur boots, which she used to trek between houses. Sometimes she went barefoot, but she liked the feel of the decadent fur around her ankles.

Siggy opened the front door and Ulfur burst out, hell-bent on getting some food. She followed behind, at a walking pace, and felt the crunch of wild grass and dew beneath her soles. It didn't make sense to have a stone path there; she'd be forced to get the snow and ice off of it most of the year or else face the wrath of her mother.

She made it to the old wooden door and, when it caught, she barked out a curse. "Son of a bitch!" she slammed a hip into it and it flew inward.

The sight she was greeted with was her mother sipping coffee at the high pub-style table. However, a guest was seated across from her, in true Franzi fashion. Siggy immediately knew who it was…

"What the fuck?"

"Sigrün!" Franzi snapped, her accent harsh and commanding. "Respect our guest, mien lieben!"

"It's quite alright, Lady Franzi." The guest said and looked over to the redhead who looked ready to burst with anger. "I would make you some coffee, but alas, I am terrible at it." Loki looked like a cat who found the cream bowl as he looked her over.

Suddenly feeling defeated, Siggy's shoulders dropped and she shuffled over to feed Ulfur before heading to the coffee pot.

"Ah, Loki, my dear." Franzi said, reaching out to lay a hand on the god's wrist. "Bitte, tell me more of your mother, Frigga."

"Ah yes, well she would have be so pleased you worship her still. She is in the stars now." He said, with reverence.

"So beautiful…" Franzi said and leaned back as Siggy slide up beside the table to top her cup of coffee off. "Danke, bebe."

Siggy nodded and looked at Loki's cup. She noticed he liked it like her own still. Forcing away the feeling of being flattered, she shuffled away and finished her own cup before moving around the side and sitting between the two at the tall, pub-style table.

She took a desperate sip before she withdrew her laptop, trying to ignore the radiating coolness of Loki's legs near her own.

"So, Siggy, what are your plans for today?"

She barely heard her mother as she pulled up her email and frowned at the newest one. At least their funders had made contact with the Bulgarian government with a pure What-the-Fuck type, yet sickly polite, response.

"_Sigrün!_"

Siggy jerked in her seat and looked between her two companions. Loki wielded a smirk and her mother sat looking lethal. "Entschuldigung, mama." She uttered the apology quickly, and said, "I thought I'd go to the general store to place some orders, before I forget and then need something badly."

With an easy smile, despite her wrath a moment ago, Franzi replied, "Ja bebe, take my list with you. Loki will help you gather the items. He's staying with us for a few days."

"Seriously, mama? You just met him!" Siggy snapped and then knife-handed the god, angrily. "You are such an asshole, preying on the hospitality of my mother! What happened to you being, like, a goddamn ghost last night?"

"Luckily, the fools in Asgard are easily pacified. I told them the Allfather needed time to attend his personal affairs and that he'd return, rejuvenated, within a few days. Again very lucky for you, dove, Asgardian days move much slower than Earth's."

She groaned and slumped her head on the laptop. "I thought you were dead this morning. I convinced myself you were a dream…"

Franzi chose that moment to get up and start breakfast, before she patted her foster-daughter's back. It was the perfect amount of comfort Siggy needed to gather her wits, and then she lifted her head.

She was an anthropologist. They didn't get caught up in the details; they flowed on with the roughness of the waves surrounding them, and then attacked them with skill.

Siggy lifted her mug and looked at Loki, really looked at him. He was wearing a mortal button down black shirt, green scarf loose around his neck, and black slacks…he looked like a damn fine model she thought with a sigh. He looked so perfect and she…?

Siggy knew she looked unkempt with the holey university shirt, little shorts and worn furry boots. She also knew her hair was frizzing up…

Loki, on the on the other hand, looked right at her wet hair. He knew she showered often, but he never comprehended how her hair looked wet. It was still quite full, but it was slightly darker, due to the water. He more easily spotted the strands of white and deep mahogany buried within the copper of the mass. He felt a twitch in his fingers to touch it.

"So," she began, "You're staying here for a few days then? How come you're not a ghost anymore?"

Loki cleared his throat and drained his cup, before Franzi spirited the thing away. "I was an illusion last night. Today, I am here. You know this." He said with a deep voice as he leaned toward her, and snatched her hand before she could withdraw. He was more than satisfied by her reaction.

She shuddered and the tips of her hair lit, curling up as they both heated and dried within the same moment. Siggy tried to glare at him, but she already gave away how much she enjoyed his cool touch.

"You're a douche-canoe." She said with a nonthreatening frown and allowed her fingers to curl into his palm.

"I know not what this canoe of douche is."

She sighed as her mother set a new cup of coffee down for Loki. "Why can't I stay pissed at you?"

"Because I am a god." He said and she made a face, shaking her head. "Well then, I am loveably evil."

With a barley-contained smirk, she sighed aloud and dove to finish off her email. "That I can agree with you on...just not the loveable part."

"You wound me so."


	12. Chapter 12 Stoking the Fire

Siggy opened the door to her old Bronco and nimbly hopped up into the cab with help from the truck's nerf bar. With ease, she leaned over the cool leather seats to slip the key into the ignition before turning. With out pause, it roared to life and she laughed with delight, drumming her hands on the black hide.

"Damn! Love that gal!" She looked back over her shoulder at Loki. "I asked my housekeeper to start my Bronco up every once in a while." She explained while she ran a hand over the worn leather wheel with obvious affection.

Loki raised an eyebrow at her and lifted his chin in acknowledgement. "Quite lovely." He said and returned to looking at her ass once she'd safely turned around once more. Siggy had changed into black leggings of some sort and he wholly approved of the choice of apparel. He never knew such a sight...

"Alright! You ready?" she said and turned to face him. She had one foot on the nerf bar she used to hop into the cab, and the other dangled out in the air.

Siggy was looking at him, with her hand on the doorframe and afternoon sun coating the dusty windows of the garage. She was smiling, and her eyes were like molten amber when it hit her face.

Perched as she was on the bar, Loki had to look up at her a bit. He moved without thinking and snatched her supporting hand from the Bronco. She jerked in reaction and stumbled off, less-than-gracefully, into his grasp. Before she could flounder around for the ground, his mouth captured her own and she immediately melted into his grip and his body.

Siggy shivered softly and he felt the tremor run through her as his tongue found hers. He pulled one of her legs up over his hip while simultaneously pushing her back into the seat of the vehicle.

She released his kiss and gasped at the sharp contact in her back, then moaned as his lips moved on to her neck. She instinctively bucked into his hips and he nipped her skin as reward.

"Loki," she hissed and she felt that decadent, hard length from their last encounter over a year before. Only this time, he was positioned correctly and she had truly underestimated just how much she really wanted to try the horizontal dance with him. It was a little scary. In fact, it was like a bucket of water tossed on her.

He felt her stiffen up and knew he'd pushed too far, too fast. "Sigrün," he started and leaned back to see her, despite what his lower needs were pulsing for.

She looked flushed, but not uncomfortable. Still, he pulled her back off the seat and set her leg down, reluctantly. "I'm sorry."

Siggy laid her hand on his chest, then met his eyes as she pushed her palm to his collar bone. Her body temperature was searing, and he was such a balm to her fire. He certainly didn't seem to mind because he groaned, and subconsciously undulated towards her with his hips and chest.

She grinned like a Cheshire cat at her newfound power, and Loki saw it. "There she is." He said deeply, and pulled her in for a chaste kiss.

"Sorry…that was _really_ new for me." She said with a whisper, and felt him place a hand behind her neck, squeezing softly. It felt so comforting, even though he'd said nothing, her next words spilled out of spirit rather than her head. "Maybe we can try…something later on." She said, with a beet red face.

Loki flashed a grin her way that nearly curled her toes. "I'll hold you to that, little Valkyrie."

Despite how chilly late afternoon was, there was no need for the heater in the Bronco. It was like a car in Phoenix without AC by the time she drove around to the front and her cousin hopped in the front seat. Loki was sitting in the back with his own bench seat when Kurt whooped and shook out of his coat.

"Damn, girl! What did he do to you? It's hot as hell in here! Turn down the heat!"

Siggy blushed hotly and spotted Loki's satisfied smirk in the rearview mirror. She stuck her tongue out at him and connected her iPod to the aux cable. "Well, roll the window down or something."

Without skipping a beat she promptly blasted music as she rolled into gear and spit gravel. The small town was about twenty miles out, so there was _plenty_ of time for her favorite jams, just to piss of Kurt and probably Loki.

They passed pines and had glimpses of rivers along their way to Fort Yukon. It was so nostalgic, Siggy fell back into her days commuting to school, blasting her favorites and belting out with her fearless, albeit questionably decent vocals.

"_Girls love, girls _love_ boys…._" She said and threw a hand out to Kurt, who shook his head and tried to hide a smile.

"Shit, turn on something I can sing to," Kurt murmured, and a moment later, she'd found something. "Oh shit! Yeah!" He barked, and began drumming on the dash.

"_I see a little silhouetto of a man," _the two sang together immediately, animatedly.

_Bohemian Rhapsody_ serenated Loki as he sat in the back, stuck between feeling just barely amused and highly murderous. He hoped this car thing was not the only thing she did for fun.

It had been a long day. Loki had trailed Sigrün throughout the very small town of Fort Yukon. There were approximately 600 humans in the radius, and they'd seemed to bump into _every single bloody one_.

By the time they made it into the General store, Loki had to move himself far back and away from the mess surrounding Sigrün. He'd even resorted to concealment on occasion. A particularly rotund woman attacked the Valkyrie with a bear hug and shook her from side to side.

Finally they made it into the store and once there, they spotted her cousin leaning over the counter toward a similarly blushing woman. Sigrün looked at Loki with a devious look and grinned. She announced herself loudly and the couple jumped before she walked over and teased her cousin mercilessly.

The tactic actually paid off for the awkward couple, in the end, despite Siggy's ruthless approach to get them to realize they should probably try for a date. After she'd succeeded, she placed her orders and grabbed a box of food set up by her mother.

She hefted the thing off the counter, leaving Kurt behind so he could take the woman, Kara, out after closing in an hour.

Just before they left the store, Loki stopped her by grabbing her elbow so that he could take the box. "You have to know, there are far too many humans interrupting and touching you." He growled.

Siggy just smiled and shrugged. "Well, they only see me every year or so. Most watched me grow up."

Loki sighed, as if he was greatly bothered. "Well, you said hello well and fine, correct?" he didn't wait for her to reply, so he simply announced, "Good, we are leaving this place under my power…I think you were squeezed enough for one day."

"Huh." She muttered as he extended his elbow her way, so that she could take the hint. With a frown, she flopped a hand over his bicep and was immediately surprised by how much sinewy muscle lied beneath his coat.

It was rather nice and she felt her body growing a bit lighter. To distract herself, she looked to her feet and nearly flipped at the sight of _nothing_. "Holy shit!" she barked. "We're invisible!"

Loki grinned at her excited voice and pulled her along as they opened the door to leave the store. With ease, they moved back toward the Bronco, the townsfolk oblivious.

Along the way he felt Siggy's energy building higher, along with her body heat. He was a bit surprised when he spotted a flame flip up in his peripheral. It really didn't surprise him his power hadn't controlled it…she was spontaneous.

"Oh shit! Sorry…" she whispered and accidently bumped her hip into his as she crouched and hopped back up nervously. "This is just exciting and super stalky…It's fun!"

They made it to the Bronco in a short time, and Loki felt safe enough from friendly attacks that he dropped the illusion. He'd never been so stricken by a woman before is his long life. She was pure energy and she'd seeped her warmth into him. Acknowledging that, he knew would have her in short time.

Possibly even within the monstrosity she drove about…


	13. Chapter 13 Fire Consumes

Siggy had trouble keeping her attention on the road because Loki had deemed it appropriate to stare at her like a cat that had trapped a canary. She tried to stay focused and actively looked for wildlife along the road. "Gotta watch out for deer." She muttered, to try and make him back off.

Of course that didn't work so she sat back against the leather seat again and decided to listen to the lyrics of her favorites playlist. Then, of course, one of her favorite songs crept of over the speakers from her IPod. It was a slow, seductive beat and the singer made Siggy a little shy with Loki sitting right next to her.

Normally she belted out the song and slithered in some silly moves on the seat as she drove, but she couldn't be more uncomfortable with the lyrics. Not because it was a sexy song, but because she had been hoping for some...um, sexy fun-time experiments with the God of Lies. But having a sexy song slip into her mind had her nearly crumble into the virgin she actually was. True, she loved porn, enjoying playing her own song on occasion, but she'd never been in a horizontal dance with anyone. If Loki touched her, she'd ignite...literally.

"_Here I go falling down, down, down..._

_My mind is a blank,_

_My head is spinning a-a-round and a-round as I go _

_Deep into the funnel of love..."_

Loki smirked as he watched her get flushed and the heat in the cab of the vehicle spiked sharply. She was fidgety and barely held his gaze for an instant before she turned back to the empty road. He noticed she sat forward on the seat, mostly because she was short, but she was also rigid as hell.

He smirked and knew she was aroused. He approved of the slower music than she normally had on. An upbeat female voice spoke of some "funnel of love" and he imagined it was sexual, because Sigrün seemed to get a rise from it. _Why not help her out a little?_ He thought with a grin.

Siggy jerked in her seat as she felt Loki's leg slide in behind her back to rest against her ass. The coolness of his body sunk into her, even through their clothes, and it turned her on even more. He knew what he was doing.

She chanced a glare at him, but he looked smug and sexy as hell. "You don't like me stretching out, little Valkyrie? It is a bit cramped in here, I'm afraid." She snorted at the lie and focused in on the road once more.

"You're crazy."

"You sure you don't want to stop?" he said, his voice deep and inviting as he stretched out his over six-foot frame even more. He was obviously large for the vehicle, but he didn't mind as he bumped against her hip.

Sigrün nearly did stop the Bronco, but she didn't want to get caught by any of the troopers...she knew most of them and if they told dear old mom...oi vey.

'

_Ya just can't run from the _

_Funnel of Love..._

_Its gonna get you someday..."_

Loki rose up to a seated position and grabbed the back of Siggy's neck. She jerked and the Bronco followed before she righted them. He pressed his mouth behind her right ear and brushed his teeth gently.

Loki felt Sigrün grit her teeth and her hair threatened to alight as she jerked the SUV into the trees. He was worried she was pissed off and wanted to crash them, but she slipped in through a tight path at the last second. Pine needles and branches smacked the windows, screeching and scratches all around and Loki wondered if he'd pushed too hard.

The engine roared with her aggressive dodging of trees, avoiding aged potholes and boulders that had were exposed. All the while she kept her speed at a rate that almost made him nervous.

"Sigrün..."

"Hush," she snapped and whipped the Bronco to the right, slamming Loki against her side, though she kept her position stubbornly and whipped the SUV to the left just as sharply. Loki fell to his back on the bench seat in a heap, only thankful he hadn't smacked his head on anything. The roar of the engine rolled back down to a purr as she stopped the Bronco. Then she shut it off.

The sudden quiet was piercing, and Loki looked up to see Sigrün taking a deep breath before she snatched up her iPod. She fiddled with it a moment, then some deep base and lazy violins rose up around them all.

"You played with fire, Loki." She said and he tried to smirk, but found he was unable to respond. She was fierceness and flame and he wanted her that very instant.

"You better be damn ready to take the burn." She hissed and leaned forward from the driver's seat, her searing palm resting on his thigh.

Siggy had no idea she could talk like that, or _mean_ it, but she did. When Loki's eyes turned a dark, sultry shade she'd never before seen, she responded with her own energy. Her skin glowed with heat and she kicked off her fur boots with ease before she crept over him.

Loki lied back on the bench seat, looking overly long and powerful, but he made himself look slightly susceptible to her every whim. _Ha! Lies of course, but I'll take it. _She thought with a smirk and leaned forward over him.

She pulled off her outer coat and flung it to the back, before she took a moment and looked down at the man she was straddling. Her fingers brushed over his chest as she stalled. "I've never been farther than this, really."

Loki lifted a brow. "Burned a few?"

She frowned. "I was an adolescent and easily excited. Since then...Well, no reason to try. I don't need anything except my trusty buzzie." She stopped and looked at him pointedly. "Until we met."

Loki did not sneer or joke at her. He simply pulled her down to his chest and kissed her hard and deep. Her hair instantly set aflame and he groaned at the immense pleasure her warm body brought him.

His tongue attacked her own and she nearly lost the upper hand before she pulled away and sat up. "Loki," she purred and he was again caught off guard by her actions. "You should be patient."

He instantly frowned but was rewarded by Siggy quickly lifting her shirt off, silencing him before he spoke. Her waist was toned, wielding strength beneath her soft skin and she wore a black bra. The lingerie was delicate lace but it may as well have been pornographic to Loki's eyes, to one who had never withheld such a garment. He looked like a jungle cat waiting to pounce.

Siggy grinned at his look and felt a chill rise up her back. She knew she was opposite from others. Normal women and their lovers felt shudders that were warm and comforting. Loki gave her chills of lust and need, and they were only _so_ wanted.

"Touch me," she said and he obeyed.

His cold palm rested on her abdomen and ran up, which had Siggy's breathe deepen. When his cool hands palmed her breasts, she was nearly lost with wanton need. "Loki!"

"Woman, you will remove this barrier." He hissed.

Siggy breathed and took his gaze as she reached back and unlatched her bra. It fell away with ease and he watched him as his eyes roved over her revealed body. "Loki,"

His hands flew to her breasts and a shout of pleasure ripped from her throat. It felt so exquisite that Siggy's hair lit into tendrils of flame and her skin warmed to temperatures she'd scarcely known. The Valkyrie was worried she'd crossed any barriers and that Loki would push her off, burned, but he only got colder to match her.

Siggy looked down at his face, searching, and he starred in awe back at her. "Sigrün, you shock me to my core." He hissed and he got a glowing smile in return.

"I think its safe to say I can't burn you." She said and caught a gleam of mischief in his eyes. It was one she wished to match completely. "I think we should have further testing."

Loki dragged her down and she felt the very obvious, hard presence of his erect penis at her inner thigh. Even as a blush attacked her cheeks, she kicked down her pants and he did the same. Together they met without barriers, she seated just before his erect penis against her backside as he lied there, awaiting her move.

Siggy smiled at him and shook her head. "Loki...would you?" she whispered, and he got her point before she finished.

In a heartbeat, Sigrün was on her back and Loki pressed his naked hips down into her own. Her eyes were wide as took in the sight, so he grabbed the hair on the back of her head and gripped so she looked at his face. Without difficulty, he lifted and pressed the head of his cock into her core. Her eyes threatened to close, but he forced her to watch his eyes.

"Sigrün...are you ready?"

She gave a little start and sharp nails flew to his hips, digging in a little before she raked them up to his shoulders. "Maybe more than." She said with a hiss.

The fierceness of her gaze struck him and he pulled her closer to him. "Woman, I need to feel you."

"Then take me." Siggy said, inhaling just as he entered her. She gasped and lied stock-still as he waited for her to adjust to him. That was nice enough, but he had to adjust to her as well.

Sigrün's core was so hot; he was actually uncomfortably warm for the first time in his life. Loki found himself pleased that no other male could ever enter her and likely live, beside himself. He was a harsh person, but even he knew it was not pure coincidence that they'd found one another.

Loki never had a virgin female before, but it was rare for a woman to ever want him in Asgard, given his reputation as the younger, darker and tricky son. Yet Loki found this little fiery virgin was a lover he absolutely wanted to take his time with.

Once she'd adjusted to his size, she rolled her hips and gave him a look that very nearly froze him. Her eyes begged for more and she nearly purred with need. "What are you waiting for, Loki." She growled, and pulled him into herself with her legs. "I'm waiting."

Loki suddenly dug his nails into her naked, trim waist and pumped deep into her. "Fuck all, woman!" he snapped and she met him thrust for thrust. The sound of her moans nearly undid him as he quickly brought them to a high.

"Oh god!" she cried and gripped the seat under her for some purchase.

Loki couldn't stop a smirk as he rose up and his head rested against the ceiling of the cab. Somehow he'd gotten even deeper and whatever had been coiling up within her core finally snapped.

She screamed with her release and she dragged Loki into his climax after her. His uninhibited shout gave her a shudder and together they rolled back down from their highs. They matched body temperature, breathing deeply and clinging to one another.

Siggy sighed and enjoyed the weight of his body on her own for a moment. "Post coitus." She whispered and smirked suddenly.

Loki grinned when he felt her chest shake against his as she laughed at her own words. "Woman, you are ridiculous."

"You love it." She spat and gripped him with her legs, only to hear him growl.

"Watch out, you might invoke the beast once more...

"Ha!" she snapped and bit his shoulder. "A beast are you now?"

"I heard no complaints," he said and caught her eye as he leaned up and held her face. "You commanded this vehicle like a madwoman."

She cracked into an instant grin with teeth and laughed. "You earned it by egging me on! Besides, backwoods off-roading is a specialty from my high school days...Mom didn't want to let me drive legally."

"A little rebel then?" he said with a grin.

"Oh yes. I had more citations with the forest service than the cops...they couldn't catch me."

Loki could tell she was becoming self-conscious of her nakedness because she got quiet, so he hauled her up and set her on his lap. Siggy nearly yelped and struggled to hide, but he forced her meet his eyes. "I'll have to leave you often," he began and she instantly stilled. "What with the...changes in command on Asgard, but I will return as often as I can."

She swallowed and took a moment before responding. "I'd hoped this wasn't a one time thing."

Loki frowned and his nails dug into her arms. "You are _mine_, Sigrün. No other shall have you."

Her eyes met his and she tried to bit her lip to control her incoming smirk. "So serious." He gave her a warning look and slapped her ass promptly. Siggy immediately yelped and snapped, "Geez! Okay...okay, I'm yours. No one else could anyway, if you don't remember."

"Now that that's been established," Loki sighed and easily pulled her down on top of him. He took a loose handful of her hair as she looked up at him trough her bangs as she laid her chin on his chest.

"You have to realize this is...a little crazy for us. We mess around a little about a year ago...have just had, _ahem_, sex in a car and now you're saying this is it. So like, we're _dating_ or something?"

"You assume I understand the concept of this mortal phrase."

"Dating. Like...together exclusively until we break up?" At his deadpan, she rephrased. "We'd basically be promising to be exclusive sexually and emotionally to each other until one of us ends the relationship?"

Loki's jaw ticked but she saw no other emotion. "This is common on Midguard?"

"Yes. It's a way humans can find life partners without completely locking themselves down to one person."

"I dislike this mortal custom. For simplicity and ease, you are simply mine and I am yours."

Siggy made a noise like "_Whu_" and after blinking a few times she responded. "Well, what about time-wise?"

"Do you dislike me?"

"Depends on the day or circumstance."

"Well then do you trust me?"

"I...do. As dumb as that sounds; trusting the God of _Lies_."

Loki smirked and drew his fingers under her chin. "I'll be honest with you...when it's important." He received an eye-roll, but continued. "I don't think you need to worry about any other partners in my life, dove. You have my full," he grabbed her hips and thrust up, "undivided attention."

She bit her lip to stifle a smile and stretched against him like a cat. "Well, then lets just be together when we can."

"So, shall we have another go then?"

Her laughter rang through the small clearing, even through the vehicle, but it quickly died down once Loki began to prove just how serious he could be.


	14. Chapter 14 Elements on the Rise

The heavy box-lid snapped soundly in the gloved hands of the uncanny man holding it. The light inside had just been snuffed out of the surrounding environment, as well as any remaining illumination on said man's teeth. Still, his grin remained wide and disturbing to his little assistant at his left.

"I believe the time has come for one of my most prized collections to be completed and I know the next desparate piece to the completion is heading here as I speak." He paused, enjoying the atmosphere of the room, his little assistants shaking body across from him. "And not a moment too soon. I have some...doors that need knocking."

000

"_I'll be back soon_."

"_Promise?"_

"_Those droll scholars you play with in the sand work you to exhaustion. I think you should go back to your Alaska."_

"_One: that would mean I'd be stuck with all those 'grabby mortals' you dislike. Two: the work is all my doing and three: you're saying _you_ don't drain me? You cannot just appear and push me onto a table with delicate artifacts abou__" She'd yipped loudly as he bit the junction between her shoulder and neck._

"_Woman, it is you who is doing the draining I assure you."_

"_You're incorrigible." _

"_I'm in need of you."_

"_This much? Not_Ah!_ Oh god...not that I'm complaining."_

"_I'll never be done with you, Sigrün. Now do both us a favor...shut up and let me give us both pleasure."_

The silky words of her lover echoed in her mind. His voice dark and lusty, as he'd whispered them into her ear just as he thrust into her waiting body from behind, his hand possessively grasping her throat

"Oi!"

Siggy instantly jerked and subdued the flames that had begun to trickle up her neck and over her ears. She felt her face turn red as she realized she'd been recalling her last encounter with Loki.

"Watch the fireworks over there, Siggy." Sam cooed and tossed a pebble toward their dig lead with her head in the clouds. "We only have Jonnie here right now but the other team could show up any time. Don't need to explain to them you can roast marshmallows on command."

"I'm sorry!" Siggy barked and noticed she'd at least done well with her portion of the dig. No damage done to the fragile bone of the thousand-year old horse's hooves and she'd made progress.

"Well if I had a hot-ass lover waiting for when I made it stateside I'd be antsy for the days to be over soon too." Sam said with a sly smirk as Jonnie whistled at their backs.

"Looks like we're nearly done hear, ladies. Then is the fun part: lab time! Homeward bound!"

As the burly archaeologist had hoped, the two females groaned and looked down at the few remaining bits they had to uncover, document, and then take back to their labs, thus beginning the grueling process of more intricate documentation, filing, and microscopes to search for hidden hypotheses and theories on the horses and their master's burial.

"Joy." Siggy murmured but felt a twinge of relief. While it was fun to be in the field, reports about the area were becoming more dangerous for the team's safety. Their dig in Bulgaria happened to be all too near to the problems developing in Sokovia with the HYDRA facility that the Captain had dealt with. That wouldn't have been so bad, except there was continued, troubling activity in that region. It just plain had Siggy on edge.

Her dig's proximity to that crap was unsettling and, knowing what she knew from SHEILD reports that came her way, she wanted her team out a.s.a.p. However, as the senior archaeologist of the dig sight, she could only give the project director (a full continent away) her opinion and hope for the best. She didn't like having to stay put, but the headway the team had made thus far was impressive and they were nearly done.

"Alright, lets wrap this up and get the other team in here." Siggy said and pushed up to her feet to survey the progress. "Honestly, I think this is just about all our crew needed for the rest of the dig. Team two can handle final photography, removal of the last three hooves, and replacement of the earth. As far as we are concerned, I do believe this team is finished here."

"Whoop!" Jonnie barked and whipped his hands into the air. Sam glanced with an edge to her eye.

"Are you sure you want Sullivan's crew to overlook the replacement?"

Siggy shrugged. "He was reprimanded last time for trampling surrounding flora and not creating a level terrain. Don't you worry...unless he's an idiot," Siggy heard a _Humph_ in response, though chose to ignore it. "_But_ we know he likes getting any praise he can on a close, so he'll focus and say he did this all single-handedly. Win-win for us honestly since he forgoes a lot of lab work and he'll farm it out."

"Well, whatever." Sam snipped and gathered her tools and papers. "Let's get out of here then. Since you gave us a fire-show earlier, now I'm craving s'mores and white wine."

"I second that." Jonnie said from above.

Siggy had no choice but to sigh and allow the banter to continue. Truthfully she actually really enjoyed s'mores so she was pleased she'd at least get some kind of treat for her dumb slip up earlier. "Alright then, lets pack this beast up. I want a _final_ pack-job though. Get all your shit and I'll talk to Sullivan about the plan. Remember the Anthro code, lady and gent."

"Do no harm." They muttered but all knew how much they actually respected the words.

000

Sigrün was waiting for Loki to appear when the air began to stir in an unpleasant way. She glanced back to her human companions breaking down the dinner they'd shared, but neither of them seemed to notice.

It was more than a wind kicking up; it felt deeper. Before she could comprehend the feeling, Siggy was suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, altogether fearful and furious at once.

What she experienced only moments after sitting was obviously deeply ingrained within her spirit. Her chest felt as if it caved in slightly and she was short of breath. _Something_ had twined into Siggy's body. She remembered she'd felt this once before, though it was not nearly as terrifying as this moment. It was such a helpless taste in her mouth that she nearly gagged.

She sat still for a time, trying to analyze herself. After quick reflection, Siggy knew immediately what was going on. The growing bangs on her head were tingling at the roots themselves. She wish she could play stupid, but she already had an idea...

_I thought we had time_...Her mind whimpered at the idea.

Despite her revulsion, Siggy knew that the lock of hair she'd given up was getting cashed in a lot sooner than her boon every would. Said boon was the promise of an infinity stone to be offered to the Avengers in their time of need. Though now, Siggy knew what a stupid bargain that had been.

What if said Collector was deprived of his stone for some reason? It would have been for nothing and her pure-born Valkyrie sisters would be forced to take one for the team...for an unknowable amount of time.

Siggy grit her teeth and felt hot tears on her cheeks before she realized she'd been cradling her head this whole time. With stiff muscles she sat back and looked up at the summer stars above her head.

Forcing herself to calm, she reclined back into the Bulgarian wild grass surrounding her. She felt a lingering feeling of disgust and tried to push it away as she looked upon the cosmos above. Somewhere up there, she'd be called to pay for her own mistake, along with her sisters', however petty or selfless.

With nothing she could do on Midgard, Siggy simply indulged in her surroundings. Nowhere in any city of the US would it be barely evening, sun kissing you goodbye, and you were greeted with every star in the sky who dared shine through it. Such places were winding down in size every year, but Siggy appreciated the vastness and the solitude with likeminded companions. Even now Jonnie and Sam had gone to their tents for their last sleep with s'mores filling their bellies.

Coolness, which she immediately recognized, appeared suddenly at her side though the feeling was altogether welcome. Siggy leaned into the solid hand that appeared on her nape and her lips quirked. "Loki..."

"Sigrün," he said and crouched at her shoulder to drag her into his kiss and dominate. He devoured her, pulling more and more of her before they were both sated...for the moment. He'd learned she liked to have a bit of banter before he '_railed her_' as she'd once said.

"It has been a long week for us both, has it not?"

"It has." She said and nearly purred as his arms came around her. "Even more fearsome than I expected."

"How so." He said distractedly as she stretched against his hold. She was wearing her worn-button down shirt and what she called a sports bra, made by a woman with a secret. He honestly didn't care because her breasts were practically spilling over the garment, though still tantalizingly contained for modern, human modesty's sake.

"The dig is unofficially over for my crew and I. We're moving back into the lab so our favorite late night romps won't be surrounded by evergreens and nosy interns anymore."

Loki smirked and recalled a good memory of one said archaeology degree-seeker in Siggy's recent summer field school. She'd been lucky the kid knew of Loki and thought she was _cool_ because she was "banging a total badass god." Loki didn't get angry whatsoever but the poor kid had been transferred to an Ethiopian dig site for study.

Before Loki could begin mauling her, she decided to drop her bomb. "So..."

He knew that tone. "Yes my dearest, most insufferable woman?"

Siggy snarled. "Don't you dare be snarky with me...I had a premonition. Well..._fuck_." She scratched a hand through her hair and frowned. "It wasn't just that...I _felt_ it, Loki. I felt like one of my other sisters, cousins, what-have-you...they gave up a strand of their hair!"

Loki would have brushed her antics off but she looked nearly manic with worry. "What is your point?"

"I am worried my time, and theirs, is nearly up."

Loki tried stalling, but knew what she was getting at. If the Collector had gathered enough Valkyrie locks of hair, Sigrün and any kin who've donated would be trapped under a compulsion to do as the man willed. Though Loki had a feeling whatever their _compulsion_ drove toward would have nothing if not fatal repercussions.

"You'll be fine." He said simply, though she shook her head immediately and shot to her feet.

"Loki, do you feel like...like this," she passed her hand back and forth between them, around them. "This is merely temporary?"

"Why are you so concerned about everything all of a sudden?" He snapped. "Why not simply enjoy the time I offer you?"

"_Um_,"She snapped and held a hand up. "Excuse me..._Offer_ me your time? Why the hell should I?" Siggy barked and stepped into his chest just as he stood up to row with her. "I cannot simply just _enjoy your valuable time_, because I have a life and a family and a career, all of which revolve around this mortal Midgardian world!"

Loki snorted at her. _Snorted_.

It simply. Lit. Her. Fuse.

She let her hair burst into an impressive flame, hotter than she ever remembered, and broke away from him as far as she could. She was trying to dampen her rage, stop her mouth from running away, but she snapped some truth at him.

"A piece of you may be growing here too, you know? You can't be so careless to toss it away! Or is that wasting your precious _time_?"

"What?" He growled icily as he turned to look at her fully.

Siggy avoided his eyes skillfully and folded her arms over her chest. "Do not _dare_ step toward me. I am at the tip of a goddamn volcano here, Loki!" she yelled and her hair glowed blue and depressed, yet hotter than ever. "You don't get it! I could be commanded to do anything by the Collector! I could be commanded to burn down a city!"

Loki took a step toward her and she narrowed her molten eyes at him. "What did you say earlier?" He merely pushed on and ignored her simmering rage.

Siggy, however, grew stiff in the shoulders at his words and her anger turned down a degree. "What are you talking about?" she sneered.

"Sigrün!" he snapped and caught her shoulders. "What were you insinuating only minutes ago about a piece of _me_ 'growing here'?"

"Maybe some peonies?"

His eyes looked positively lethal and she felt she may have just stepped over the line in which he may just kill her. When his short nails dug into her arms, she grit her teeth at him and had to restrain her tongue from saying something she'd regret.

"Okay. You're pissed. But you let my ass go _now_ or you will get nothing at all." His green irises tried to battle her amber, molten ones and he quickly lost. _One cannot stare into the sun too long_, she thought. Yet then she knew she needed to listen to her own metaphors. She was lying to him and it was _huge_.

"Fine." Loki snapped and released her.

Siggy rubbed her arm and turned from him to look at their surroundings. She was so far from home. Her soul demanded snow, demanded cold, demanded an icy shore she could chuck rocks during her anxiety. She wanted to be in comfort when she told him...and comfort when she was no longer under her own control.

"I want to be home before I tell you what's actually going on." When her tone brokered no argument, Loki and his icy glare simply vanished. Siggy tried to hold onto her tears, tried to contain the emotion, but she was already in a losing battle.

"Damnit..." She hissed and held a possessive hand against her abdomen. "We're so fucked."

000

As Siggy made the last few hops closer and closer home, she felt like her time getting shorter and shorter. Her mind was getting less lucid and she was losing track of time. Before she even knew it, Akima had pulled into Siggy's drive and was waving at her mother through the old Ford's window.

"Akima," she began and gripped her friend's arm tightly before let go and jumped out of the cab. "Be careful...ignore the news about me."

"What the hell are you talking about, Sig?" Her friend had looked rightfully spooked. "Are you feeling okay? You look like "

Sigrün merely swung the door shut in answer and sluggishly made it into her house, ignoring her mother's shouting from across the small, icy woodland separating their homes. The door slammed behind her, the cold of the house welcoming but not as welcome as her lover would have been. He would not come, she knew, unless she broke first and called him. She'd pissed him off, royally.

Her mirthless giggle echoed in the silent house and she only half realized she'd been lying on the floor. Since her mother had not broken in yet, she only imagined she'd been there for a few minutes.

Siggy's sight was unfocused and she was listening to her surroundings as if submerged in water. Footsteps muffled toward her and feminine voices flowed slowly to her ears.

"Geebis...you poor thing. Fire seems like a pretty lame power right about now."

"Shut up. She's pregnant and new into her power. Give her a break."

"Pff. Pregnancy has been most women's plight for thousands of years. And she's not the first pure-born Valkyrie ever you know..._ahem_, look in the mirror?"

"One: you've never been pregnant. Two? She hasn't either and three: have you ever even heard of a pregnant Valk?" At the silence, the more motherly voice had clearly taken the win.

Siggy forced her eyes open, despite the oddly comforting females around her. This was her home, she could tell by the wood floors and old rugs. "Who...fuck all, what's going on?"

"Ha!" The owner of the younger female voice barked and crouched beside Siggy. "At least you have a mouth on you. We have some elder prigs here in this little group so be ready."

"Danny!"

"Eh, well we don't have to obey the old biddies but we do have to obey the hair so to speak...up you get, mommy! I know the indoctrination is not helping your brand new baby sickness."

She felt two strong pairs of arms helping her up, and she got to whiffs of lemon on one end and pure, rich dirt on the other, like she'd been digging in a rich garden. "I do hope your price was worth it in the end, hon. We'll all be paying soon enough." Said mrs. mother-earth, which Siggy had coined sluggishly.

"W-wait...th-the hair? Now?" Siggy murmured when her sight, finally, went blissfully black and she knew no more.

Thank you for all your support with this fic so far. Inspiration comes and goes but I am really enjoying writing this. I am in a bit of a pickle really. The story has branched off into another direction is seems, so I was wondering if I should post from this chapter on as a New Book, in a new story or if I should just make a ridiculously long fic by the end :/

And thank you, thank you again _Vampyre86_ you really helped me not look like a dumbie - '.

Let me know how you think the story is going! I appreciate all feedback.

_Bitte!_


	15. Chapter 15 Raise the Stakes

Siggy came-to slowly, with the world moving even slower. Female voices drifted through her consciousness and she was starting to keep up.

"So the _geas_ dinna hit her just yet?"

"Wait...what."

"I said _geas_, it means mystical compulsion. It's derived from the Gaelic word

"Wait, what the fuck is this _Braveheart_?"

"Obviously our mums are all different, so "

"_Freedom!_"

"Danny!"

"Oh calm down, Grace...So Scotty, you knew your mom?"

"Ach, no. But the family I was raised with was in Scotland. My mum and my da _are_ Scot and I am their girl. _Hence_ back off yeah, Ms. 'Merica?"

"_Tch_...I like ya, Scotty."

Siggy opened her eyes and examined the room she was in. It was...a cabin. She was in a goddamn log cabin!

_Really?_ She thought.

"Oi!" Sigrün instantly stiffened and looked up at the doorway. It was crowded with three women, all fairly tall and muscular. _Valkyrie_, she thought, dumbstruck. If she had any sense of fear before, she had none now.

The one in the middle was who Siggy felt was the earthy aura. She had wavy chestnut hair and dark green eyes with a matronly air about her. She clearly held the reins, if there were any to be had in the situation at hand.

The one to the right of the lead had a dyed, pink pixie cut with a toothy grin and an air of lightness and energy. The woman to the left had black hair with an aura of pure strength, as if she could smash someone with her bare hands.

"Oh god..." Siggy whined and sat up shakily. "You're..._we're_ actually here."

Mother Earth offered a smile and stepped forward. "Oh yeah, we _are_ real...My name is Grace. We were called to you. You might have overheard Moira, but we believe you will be..._compelled_ soon to participate in the duties we've been forced to follow."

"The _geas_." quipped the blonde Moira.

Siggy took the information offered and looked around the room, calculating. "So, I'm guessing you didn't know who I was when you found me?"

"No," the earthy one, Grace said. "We just...traced to your location. We were called to you like a beacon."

Siggy picked at the blankets that had gathered in her lap as she tried to recall memories from her last state of consciousness and now. "So...you all know...um, my _state_. I overheard you all talking." At least one of them had the decency to look apologetic.

"That ya been done knocked up?" barked the pixie-cut Danny as she plopped on the bed at Siggy's feet. "Yup, we knew pretty much immediately. So, who's the daddy?"

The redhead on the bed frowned and tried to push her still raw anger. "So...I'm guessing the Collector is now cashing in his dues. He hit the mark he aimed for?"

A collective coldness permeated the air and Siggy knew instantly that they all resented their servitude. Grace's eyes suddenly turned deadly. "He somehow did...none of us knew the number was so small. Yet, considering the rarity of our kind it should have been a factor each of us considered."

"Are we the only ones?"

Grace stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "No, there are five more but we four were closest, time-wise, when we offered our hair. As far as we can feel from the _geas,_ as Moira so lovingly puts it," a shrug from the blonde, "we will likely be working together toward our freedom."

"Can we fight it?" Siggy asked and looked at the three females nearby.

"No." Moira intervened. "Can ya feel it? The compulsion, that _geas_ is only gettin' stronger for ya now."

"She's right." Danny said with a frown.

"Soon we have'ta get ya out o that bed and on the move, lass."

"Yes, you'll be hit with a wave of _geas_, as we have been, and you need to be on your feet for it or it'll hurt worse. "Grace finished.

Siggy suddenly felt overwhelmed as beginnings of the feeling she'd suffered right before she passed out flushed her nerves. However, this was more condensed and would not allow her to push it away. This she felt deep in her bones. She _would_ move, even if she were near death; she would have to.

"Well shit, so we loose consciousness when we're sent to do the bastard's bidding?" Siggy snapped and looked to the others. "Right?"

Grace looked sad while Moira and Danny simply looked enraged; Siggy had her answer. They'd be fully conscious of their actions, commanded to do the will of the Collector, Taneleer Tivan.

000

"Heimdall!" Loki shouted as he neared the entrance to the Bifrost. The dark Asgardian turned to eye the king, reluctant as he was to call the god such.

"_King_ Loki, you care to grace this one with your presence?"

"I'll ignore that display of sarcasm for the moment," Loki snapped and stepped forward menacingly. "Where is she?"

"My king?"

"Sigrün!" Loki spat and ran a head through his hair. "The last coordinates you've sent me were false! Where...is...she?" The hiss in his voice and pure rage staved off any retort Heimdall would have said.

"My king, I'll search her out."

A moment later, the guardian blinked and looked to the floor. "I...she is concealed from me."

"What do you _mean_ she's concealed?" Loki yelled, eyes turning nearly manic as he stepped up to the gate guardian.

"There are others with her; three females. However, I cannot see her at all. She is as obscured as her location."

A shot to the gut would have hurt less as Loki took the news. "Why can't you see where she is? Who are the others?"

"I cannot see the others with her, only know them to have the same aura as she."

Loki staggered back and looked out into the expanse of the stars beyond the Bifrost. _She can't have been right..._

"Loki, you never told me what she was."

"What?" he muttered and looked back at the gate guardian. "What are you talking about? You knew what she was all along, have you not?"

"She is clearly a Valkyrie, of the pure-born, more powerful than any we have here on Asgard. They," he pointed a hand toward the city, "search for lost souls for Ragnarok. Those that are like lady Sigrün, well...they are avenging warrior-goddesses with no limit to their power. She was not one of them to my eyes before this moment."

"You're telling me you haven't seen this in all the times past which you've searched Midguard for the elusive wench?"

Heimdall shook his head. "No. I may not be able to see her, but her power radiates just as the others."

Loki frowned at the information. She'd evolved even further into whatever the pure-born Valkyrie were. They were anomalies, pure speculation until the Avengers sent her with to obtain the promise of an infinity stone, then as payment for such a promise she gave up some hair. Hair! He'd thought it all ridiculous and brushed aside her fears during their last meeting. What manner of compulsion could possibly control the actions of the spitfire that was his...

Loki grit his teeth and tried to reign in his emotions. "Keep an eye on them. On her." He snapped and practically tore out of the room.

_I have to find that insufferable woman._

_000_

Siggy had been working with the others for a week and so far they'd only done a few morally questionable duties. Stealing high profile relics seemed to be their motive at the moment and it would hopefully be their only calling. None of them had to showcase any of their crazy power. At most Grace had to produce a sleeping toxin and Danny was their way onto location via her conjured portals. She could only use them every other day so it wasn't as if they could bounce all over the globe.

It wasn't too horrible being a thief by force; in fact it was almost fun. Though if she ever felt the need to fight the _geas_ she'd become immediately sick and weakened. The instant she stopped fighting it, her strength rushed back and the cold sweat and her racing heart instantly subsided.

_Speaking of strength..._

Siggy found herself suddenly rivaling Thor himself by her sheer ability to crush doorknobs by accident and take doors off of vehicles. Only Danny seemed to struggle to control herself like Siggy. Grace told them it was because they were new to their power. Turns out Moira and Grace had given up their locks to Tivan many years before; the Scot twenty years before and Grace herself over fifty.

Another side effect of she and Danny's newfound growth showed up if any of their emotions got to be too intense. Suddenly lightning would rage outside and their voices would begin to rattle any nearby fragile object. "That," Grace had snapped, "is basically something you need to avoid unless you're in danger or in a fight."

Apparently a Valkyrie's voice could incapacitate or entrance an immortal, or at the very least burst an eardrum. A scream could do more, but Grace wouldn't elaborate, except to say it could kill someone.

That morning they were making breakfast when suddenly they all felt the summoning. Danny moaned and stepped into the middle of the room, her hands glowing pink. "I knew two days off wasn't a coincidence."

"Wait...you canna be serious? Another galaxy! Fuck me standin'!"

Grace frowned at the language and Siggy took a deep breath. "Always traveling somewhere for work, it seems."

After a moment Danny produced one of her seamless portals. Before they could pass through, Taneleer Tivan himself stepped through the glassy gateway. With a smile he looked at them and lifted his gloved hands.

"My Valkyrie! You're all looking so stunning in your power. I do hope I'm not overworking you."

Grace stepped forward with her arms crossed. "Just let me ask you one thing...when are we going to be done with you?"

"Ah," the man said and took a piece of bacon from a plate nearby. "Once I have what I needed going into the negotiation for your services, _or_ and this is an unlikely or, the object I seek is no longer available to be had."

"And what is it you want?" Siggy said and moved to stand near Grace.

He took her in and smirked at her still flat stomach. "I wonder...would the child of a god of lies and a Valkyrie of flame produce a child...or a monster to be feared?"

Siggy didn't think. She sprang forward and dug her claws into the Collectors throat. He couldn't speak, couldn't breathe, and she grit her teeth so that her tiny fangs shown in the light of the kitchen. "Fuck you!" she screamed.

The windows bowed outward and shattered while the three females around her crouched low and tried to protect their eyes. Suddenly pain speared through her brain and she hit a knee as vomit roiled up her throat and nearly escaped as she dropped her grip on the man.

Tivan coughed and threw a hand to his neck while he tried to stand up again. "M-my my little one, you " he coughed, spit out some blood, and continued, "You are quite the spitfire." Siggy looked up from her place on the kitchen floor, her molten eyes catching blood running down the man's ear.

"You will never talk about my unborn child like that ever again. Unless you want to see what its like to breathe through holes in your larynx. Get it?"

Tivan raised his gloved hands in surrender and focused in on her. "Well then, I am sending you in as the head of this next job. This is the big one. You will kill anyone in your way, do _you_ understand?" He said with eyes hard as Siggy glared.

She felt hands under her elbows before she was pulled up to her feet. "You know I do. What is it you want...really."

"The Infinity Gauntlet."

When he got a grouping of blank looks, he sighed as if put-upon. "Ladies, please keep up...it is as I say it is. You don't need me to tell you, because you already know, but I want to be perfectly clear about this order." He caught each of their eyes and finally continued. "You will go to Asgard and retrieve the Infinity Gauntlet from the legendary armory there. If you do this successfully, I will free you all."

Siggy didn't need to look at the others to feel what they were thinking. They were all thinking the same; the man was blatantly lying.

"Fine." Grace still said and waited for him to tromp back into his hole.

"I want this done _now_."

"What?" Moira snapped. "You know verra well that Danny canna conjure more than one portal a day! Let alone two!"

"I am not _asking_." The Collector snarled and rolled his cape over his shoulder as he watched Danny seem to shrink into herself despite her height.

"I...don't know if I can do this."

"Oh," he hissed, "but you will or you will die trying."


	16. Chapter 16 Neck Deep

Siggy and Moira stepped through the portal Danny created, though it was rough and poorly crafted when compared with her usual craft. They exited with a feeling of unease, but they knew there was no way to keep it open. They looked back as the portal wavered and then closed shut.

"Well..." Moira purred, "Don' that just fuck all?"

Siggy couldn't resist the smirk that rose to her lips, but nodded. "Yeah. At least she's going to make it. It'll be a couple days before we can go back though. Danny was looking rough."

"Ah! So we can party a bit?" Moira barked and did a little jig before she continued. "Good thing we landed in a decent place, yeah?"

Indeed they had, Siggy thought and looked around. They were within a garden, surrounded by golden walls and what looked like residential buildings. They'd be fine unless someone thought it was time to mow.

"Hey, we need to be ready for her next portal to show up though, and we can't dilly dally or we're gonna go to migraine-vomit-city. I do _not_ like that feeling."

"What are we supposed to do then, dove? Sneak into n' steal from an Asgardian vault that'll be under heavy guard and then lay low for a day or so? Verra funny. I'm not subtle...as you well know and neither are you. It should have been Grace n' Danila on this one."

Siggy frowned at that but she still pushed the subject. "Well, we have to. There's no _not_ getting that damn relic."

Moira lifted her brows and suddenly looked up. "Wait...We are bloody _Valkyrie_! Aren't we honored as warriors here?"

"Sweet heart, I was raised in Alaska. I'm not a goddamn warrior."

"And I was raised in Edinburgh. So what! We play the part, dove! You knew Thor; it's hard to throw away all of your traits as ye were raised. I bet he acted a fool to everyone on earth."

Siggy rolled her eyes but couldn't ignore the logic there. "What the hell are we supposed to wear then?" she waved a hand to the both of them. They were still in their pj's of little bike-shorts and baggy tee's without bras. Some warriors...

"Unless we are going to pull the Viking legend of the woman who tore her top off and frightened an entire troop of enemy raiders, we're shit out of luck."

"Wait...you donna know my gifts yet." Moira whispered with a glint in her eye.

"I know not to piss you off or I'll become a crater in the earth." Siggy said and watched the dark-haired woman next to her smile.

"Well, I _can_ punch someone into the floor, yes. But we can also melt through it." At the look she received, Moira laughed. "It's all good, innit?"

"No...no its not, Moira. God damnit." Siggy groaned and rubbed her head.

"So I can walk us through walls. That'll help. Have you ever tried your abilities beside your glowy hair thing?"

Siggy frowned at that; she had no retort. "Well...not really."

"No more blathering then. Let's go!" Moira snapped and lead the way into the building they'd landed by.

Siggy felt a different migraine coming on...

000

By the time Moira was done sweet-talking the servants, she and Siggy got some clothing and ducked out of the home as fast as they could. By the time they stopped outside a local pub, they'd finally got a chance to look at each other's outfit.

It was as if they were bonafied Asgardian women all along, though with bits of silvery leather armor strapped along a limb or two. They both had half-breast plates, and soft leather leggings beneath the soft tunics and leather. They had no skirts, though the servant women had certainly tried to offer them.

Siggy watched as Moira stretched out her right armband and lifted, as if she were preparing to use it. As far as Sigrün knew, Moira could absolutely create a crater with a single punch and she favored her right hand.

That had her looking down at her own gear. The torso fit well enough, and the waist was still blessedly loose. What would happen if this went on long into her pregnancy? _Son of a bitch..._she thought as she held her fists up and lit them.

Flames licked the material and metal of her gauntlets; heated the subtle metal claws that protected her knuckles. When the leather didn't burn away or the metal start to bubble up, she caught Moira's smart gaze.

"What?"

"Oh nottin', dove. Just curious you don't burn your clothing."

"But I can burn anything else."

"How did you get preggo then?" Moira said and tried to sound casual. "Sounds like, and from what I seen, you get toasty verra fast. A wee bit o' man all over ya might light ya up quick, no?"

Siggy merely sighed and knew it was about time she gave the woman something. "It's true. I've burned a couple boys before, a man too. I was a virgin. No one could ever get close enough to me to take the heat I put out...except him."

"So ye tellin' me he's ya mystre' baby-da because he could get it in?"

From anyone else it would have been insulting, but Moira was a straightforward soul and didn't judge...much. So Siggy didn't really feel the urge to give her a nice burn. "Not exactly. Well, honestly if it was just because we could have sex then maybe...but he grew on me." She said it almost sweetly, but then her eyes got hard. "That was before he acted like a complete prick. I knew he always was one but...I was stupid."

Moira sighed and stretched an arm out to encompass the other woman. "Well dove, lets have some fun...or as much as your bairn can allow you. You can, how you American's say it, babe-sit me! This place is looking to get a wee bit wild."

"Oh joy." Siggy said with a sigh and stepped in after her sibling-by-magic.

Despite not being able to drink, Siggy was having fun. Asgard had some amazing drinks and they still gave her a lightness that she would have felt with alcohol. That gave her the patience to deal with her nearly six-foot tall giddy child that was drunk Moira. She picked fights with men and women alike, got to talking with an incredibly tall blonde male with a red-haired, big muscular fellow who was determined to eat every single item of food in the joint.

"I'm going to eat every god damn chicken in this place..."Siggy uttered low and then giggled at her Game of Thrones reference.

Moira quickly got sweet on the red-haired man though; was sitting on his lap even now. The two of them were very drunk by this point and ignored everyone in the room.

"Oh Volstagg! What a _bear_ you are." Moira purred and twined a finger in his beard. "I love a man wit' an appetite. Do you...have an _appetite_ for other tings?" Her accent was even more pronounced and dripped with innuendo.

The Asgardian tank-of-man was loving every second of her. His eyes were already glowing with infatuation as he gazed up past her pink-cheeks and vibrant eyes. "I would wield an appetite for all of _eternity_ for you, my dark beauty."

Siggy herself was grinning at the two from her seat across from them. The blonde Fandral was trying to get into her space and she simply chose to ignore him, like she would did to men who tried when she wasn't interested.

"So, you and the lady Moira, you're not from Asgard then."

"Are you?" she quipped.

He laughed, "My lady, of course we are. We are of the Warrior's Three, Volstagg and I!"

At that, Siggy looked up and gave him some attention. "Well, I do know Thor...he's spoken of you both, and Hogun and Sif. I didn't realize that was _you_ and," She looked over at Volstagg, glorifying in the fact that Moira was all legs and all over him now. "When you ask us who we are, it depends on _who_ is actually asking the question. We're in very, _very_ deep right now."

"Deep? As in danger?" He looked shocked that she knew his dear friend "My lady, Iam asking because you needn't fear us. If Thor is your friend as you say, we can surely aid you!"

"Its really not that simple." Siggy murmured. "Moira and I, we're Valkyrie. We gave our hair up and now we have to follow some fucking maniac's orders. If we don't follow them, we will suffer until we obey...or die." She hissed and glared into the nearest roaring fireplace. "We aren't here for a social call; ignoring Moira right now."

Fandral sat there a moment, thinking before he spoke. He considered the female before him. She was small compared to Asgardian women, hair wild and unkempt, pinned high up on her head. She also had a non-alcoholic beverage in a rowdy pub surrounded by drinkers. Her clothing was pinned well, but any servant could do that for her. It was the jaded look in her eyes that decided it for him.

"We're taking you before the Allfather to tell him your tale. He shall surely listen."


	17. Chapter 17 Evolution

The halls were golden, bright and impressive as Sigrün and another female walked in. They watched as people turned to stare at the short redhead; a midget compared to the heights they were used to encountering. The woman next to her was taller with black hair and also staring around the building. Two strange, out-of-place Midgardian women...

That was how Loki first saw her and he couldn't make a fucking move.

The hall was teeming with chatter from the court-wasps surrounding them. They whispered about the arrivals, what they were doing here, how they got there in the first place. He couldn't reveal himself whatsoever.

Loki didn't have a lot of time to process even _seeing_ her walk toward him on _Asgard_ of all places. He had so many questions for her and why she was here.

Then he spotted Fandral trailing her, practically drooling like an adolescent. Suddenly the red clouding his vision pushed Loki's concerns for his woman back. What of Sigrün? Would she appreciate the golden boy's attention? The thought rankled.

Yet when he looked at her face, the redhead's eyes were forward as she walked toward the throne. Her body heat was already lighting up the room and the oblivious court-dwellers hadn't noticed.

Sigrün was simply stunning in her Asgardian leathers and armor, looking both unattainable and almost icy in her expression. Her hair looked more vibrant than ever and she looked stronger. Loki felt a slight pang in his chest as he watched her stop before the steps.

Fandral was still beside the two females and he leaned to whisper toward Sigrün who responded quietly. Suddenly the man beside her touched her elbow and her eyes hit him with a snap.

Despite the absolute shock that Sigrün was even on Asgard to begin with, Loki's knife-sharp jealousy was suddenly even more astounding. What he would give to have the grimy, blonde bastard dead on the spot. He imagined himself walking up to the Fandral, punching him in the face and carrying Sigrün out of there to his chambers in front of all. _She is mine! _.

Yet he couldn't even think of going over there.

He'd blow his cover to all of Asgard and the only two in the entire realm at the moment who knew him alive was Heimdall and Sigrün. Not even Thor knew and he intended to keep it that way. If she wanted to, she could spill his secret. She'd been very angry with him the last time they parted ways and he'd left in a rush when she didn't answer to his satisfaction.

_Ah_, a voice nicked the back of his brain, _Didn't you tell Thor yourself that your nature ruled against such things as satisfaction?_

He pointedly ignored his own consciousness. Even he didn't know if he was right he wasn't about to argue with himself. Though judging from behind the throne and being thought of as dead by most, Loki had few choices but to simply watch as Sigrün awaited Odin's attention; so he finally spoke.

"Woman...why are you and your comrade standing before the Allfather of Asgard? Clearly you are of Midgard...explain."

Sigrün stepped forward and the taller female at her side mirrored the action. "We're both here because we were ordered to, your highness. Although saying we're under orders implies we have a _choice _in the matter."

Loki had Odin lean forward slightly. "So you're a _puppet_ and your master sent you here...for what purpose?"

Sigrün tried to contain herself, he knew, before she offended the Allfather. "I suppose being called a puppet is an accurate interpretation of my sisters and I." She paused when the dark-haired female at her side pinched her elbow.

She murmured something and Siggy finally turned back to the king. "We have two others behind us, one is suffering because she had to fight beyond her strength. That could be any one of us. Moira or I could kill ourselves going after the relic we were ordered to extract from Asgard, but we'd like _not _to die today." Sigrün snipped. "Instead we ask permission to borrow the artifact. If we can, we'll return it."

Odin was about to raise his spear when the dark-haired woman spoke. "You're verra quick to judge, king. If you order this we could die fighting to get to that room. The three of us."

"You're awfully confident to peg me as a victim." Loki had Odin say. He wanted to put them in a cell and question Sigrün.

In answer, the woman smirked darkly at the man on the throne. "Oh, I wasna talkin 'bout you, good king. I was talkin 'bout the wee passenger with us." Her words stopped a lot of murmuring in the room.

Loki himself paused as he tried to comprehend, but the woman wasn't finished. "Do ya even

"Moira!" Sigrün hissed, and glared over at the female. "Enough!" Her body heat had gone up some degrees and the court-wasps were starting to notice.

Loki was speechless for once in his life. What _exactly_ was the woman insinuating? Before he could act or even think, the damn guards decided to move in. The women were getting cornered which made them antsy, and antsy made them look suspiciously like they'd act.

Before anyone knew what was going on there were spears in their faces. "Right." Moira snapped and looked pointedly at Fandral. "Tell ma Bear I hope to see him again."

As soon as the last word left her lips, the woman Moira tossed out a hand and caught Sigrün's shoulder like a vise. "Hold still, girlie!"

Before the guards could move, both Sigrün and Moira literally slipped into the floor, leaving no trace of them behind. "Find them!" The Allfather shouted and Loki was already setting up wards so he could leave his projection alone with confidence. He was going to find that insufferable woman and he would get her to talk.

000

Siggy found herself spirited down floor after floor, until finally Moira halted their fall; she landed on her ass gracefully. "Oh fuck!" She shouted and got pulled onto her feet.

"Hush, girl. Do ye feel it? We're so close."

Siggy stopped struggling as Moira pulled her along and the humming that tingled in her head seemed to agree. "Yes...I feel it. Jesus isn't that convenient?"

"It is, yes." The ebony-haired Scot said and led the way.

"So now we're on the lamb with all of Asgard after us and I _still_ haven't seen...um," In an instant Moira zeroed in on Siggy who was blushing again. "Um, I haven't seen Thor. I heard he comes back here sometimes."

"That's a lie! Your baby-da is _here_ somewhere, ya slag!"

"He _is_ hiding here behind the throne somewhere, as far as I'd imagine," Siggy snapped back, "but I didn't see him or sense him at all. Normally I can tell when he's in the room. But that's the least of our worries, Moira! Danny can't make another portal for a day and you spent a good long time in that pub but goddamnit we are _stuck_ here for another day!"

Moira frowned shook her head. "I spoke to Danila just 'fore I took us out of that room." At the glare Siggy sent her, the Scot rolled her eyes. "She _is_ a telepath and also knew exactly where she sent us. Come on dove, have a little faith."

"She's ready? Are you fucking kidding me? She was shaking and pale when she sent us through!"

"She is strong." Moira snapped. "She said she can keep it open for several minutes but we gotta meet her at the right moment. There's no private little house for our escape. She wants us at the giant bridge."

Siggy groaned and rubbed her forehead. "So the biggest brightest spot, to use like a beacon; I get it. So lets get moving, I want out of here."

The two of them moved quickly and slipped right through the door that called to them. Inside were all kinds of treasures, but the one they focused on was a blue cube that whispered and urged them to come near.

Together Moira and Siggy crept forward, only to stand staring at the item. "Well, should we pick it up?"

"It willna hurt us, I don't think...but Loki used it in New York. It's the mind stone." Moira said.

Resolutely, Siggy took a step forward and grabbed the cube with her bare hand. A flood of energy waved through her, but it was cool and didn't feel like she would be in danger. Just as her claws dropped the cube into a stray box Moria found, the giant doors behind them burst open and guards flooded into the room.

Arrows were being readied and Moira turned to Siggy. "Girl, you may have to try something...I donna know if I can stop all of this."

The arrows loosed.

000

Loki was disguised and standing with other soldiers just before the bridge. It was the logical point to hold position since it was the only way known to most to get off of Asgard.

Shouts came from the road ahead and guards were looking singed and frantic. "Be on your guard! We have no weapons against them!"

Loki frowned and waited until he saw a figure round the corner, though it was a body of flame and intangible. The person was obviously female, as the embodied fire was gifted with womanly curves and hair that whipped into the air like a candle.

_Sigrün..._

Beside her walked the loud one, Moira and Sigrün simply lifted a palm above her head, conjuring a barrier of light energy about them as they walked right on through the grouping of soldiers.

"Donna waste ammunition, boys." Moira barked as they passed. "She incinerates em like marshmallows in July."

Loki watched his lover walk away from him, awed by her. Sigrün's body was a living flame and she'd evolved into an entity he knew nothing about. All at once, he realized he was going to lose her and all at once, for the first time in his life...he was frightened.

"Sigrün!"

She stopped instantly, her feet humming on the rainbow bridge as she turned. Her facial structure was the same but she looked like living flames that would burn if one dared to touch. But her eyes were dark except for the familiar molten amber irises that he knew were her own.

Sigrün knew it was Loki. She wanted to say his name but she knew they had an audience. His face showed from under the helm of the same guards surrounding him. He was in hiding.

Overwhelmed with emotion, she clutched the Tesseract box in her claws even more tightly before she spoke. "What?"

"Talk to me." He murmured and she closed her eyes, set her hand over her abdomen. It was not as bright as her whole body, which was like a hot flame, but she bore a dark blue center.

"I tried " she cut herself off before her voice broke, but she lost the flame. She transformed before them all, her anger and fear gone in an instant and she was once more a woman. "I tried to tell you."

"What?" he hissed and took one step forward, almost losing his guise as a lowly guard. "Tell me what?"

"I

"We have to move!" Moira snapped and launched Siggy out of her nostalgia. "Run! Danny can't keep it open long!"

Before Loki could react, his woman had turned tail and ran from him. _Ran_ from him, like he was a beast. It did more to hurt his ego than he cared it to and he shouted. "After them!"

She was strong and swift and her partner was just the same. Together they worked in tandem, Sigrün incinerating arrows and Moira setting up mines that sucked in guards and dropped them into the sea below.

In one minute they'd made it to the middle of the bridge where their portal awaited them and Moira dove right in. Loki kept his eyes trained on his woman, as she seemed to pause and look down at the artifact in her hand.

Sigrün took one step back, toward _him_, her eyes shining despite the flames that lit up her hands, arms and finally her hair. She took another step, then one more before she threatened to fall. Her body nearly convulsed, as she were fighting off an unknown force.

"No!" she cried and suddenly there were two sets of hands pulling her back into the portal. "Wait!" she screamed, desperately trying to remain behind so she could touch him.

The last words he heard from her lips were his name and she sounded like she was in agony.


	18. Chapter 18 Freedom?

This ones a bit short but I wanted to have a bit of space between this chapter and the next. I appreciate the love ya'll ^_^

000

_One year later..._

Three sets of shoes moved in tandem across the shining metal grates, heralding their wearer's arrival and causing inhabitants of glass cells to look up and cower or nearly drool. The pair at the fore was worn leather boots with steel toes crafted skillfully over the toes. The wearer on the left wore sensible leather flat boots and the third? Well, they had patent-leather stilettos and they skillfully maneuvered the metal grates.

The group of three rounded one more glass cage and spotted their prey hovering over a desk crowded with all manner of items.

"Ah" Taneleer Tivan hummed, as he spotted the females. "I see you've found a way here after all."

"Well, who _else _in all the worlds would have the balls to collect our sisters' hair for centuries?" the blonde in the middle snapped. "We had little to compare you too." When he looked flattered, the impressive woman grit her teeth. "I'm not here for games. I want their braids and I want them _now_!"

"I need them to _find_ the Infinity Stones!" His eyes blazed and the women before him knew he would not retain the guise of a creepy, wealthy collector for long if they kept pushing. "I have the Tesseract! I have the Aether! I _have_ another agent moving forward, as we speak, to bring me the Orb of Power! I need the Valkyrie to find the others!"

The lead woman frowned. "You will have to find some other puppets to do your bidding. My sisters will not be helping you any more."

"_Yoink!_"

He heard the voice from behind and realized that the three women before him were suddenly two. His head swung around and he caught sight of his assistant at the mercy of the missing visitor, the Valkyrie with the red stiletto heels. His slave had a knife to her throat and was clutching the box of hair he'd collected over so many, many decades.

"Stop!"

The Valkyrie pushed the pink-skinned girl forward before snatching the box. "Oops!" she barked, "Last steps a doozy!"

The roar of rage from the Collector was expected and then he dove for the Valkyrie. Tivan hit his knees against the hard metal floor and swung around, spotting the three together again, wielding the mass of hair between the three of them, held by Stiletto and Flats.

"W-wait...don't be so rash." He whispered and lifted his hands as if to placate.

"Shut up." The lead blonde snapped from her place in the middle as pulled her blade from its sheath. With one hard swing, she sliced through the thick bundle of nine different braids, faster than one could blink.

"_NO!_"

"Buh bye," snapped Stiletto before the quiet one on the side snapped her fingers and they all disappeared, leaving the near-deity to his own devices and pure rage.

OOO

Tell me again why _I _am being sent to do this job?" Danny barked as they stepped back into Grace's house, nestled in rural upstate New York. "You and Sig stole that thing in the first place."

"An she 'n I are gonna replace it. But _you_ are doing this 'cause my partner is currently caring for her bairn. If ye donna want her job just lift ya hand."

Danny frowned and left Moira to head to the kitchen. Within was Grace on her computer, smiling like a schoolgirl with a crush. "So how're things going with the Cap?" she barked and saw the oldest of their team immediately flush.

"Oh shut it, Danny." Grace chided and continued reading the message from the leader of the Avengers, a.k.a. her new and equally oblivious, non-tech-savvy boyfriend.

They'd met while on a heist for yet another relic to get to yet another Stone. It was the last one just before the hair was cut and Steve Rogers got to see Grace at work in all her glory; he was instantly smitten. They made old timey jokes and chatter since she was raised so close to his time. To top it off they were the most disgustingly chaste couple Danny had ever seen. It just sickened her.

"Hey," Grace said, "Be sure to get your phone data fix in now. We're going up to Siggy's for the month."

"Why? You hate the cold."

Grace shrugged and said, "Well, Steve is going to visit too. He's never been skiing."

"Something tells me you could have had that date anywhere else. What's the real reason?"

"Well it's her home and we need to get the Tesseract someplace isolated before she and Moira can take it back to Asgard. And, contrary to everyone's belief, I do like my sisters...most of the time." Grace said with smirk. "And that little baby is family now too."

Danny smiled and lowered her head. "Yeah, this dysfunctional little family." She looked up, saw Grace's kind green eyes and scratched her head awkwardly. "So uh, we should leave soon then?"

"Yes, once you and Moira get back from Knowhere with the Tesseract."

Danny got to her feet in a snap. "Well, while you talk about sewing _whittle_ _socks_ for baby and other oldies crap to your beau, I'm gonna go find Scotty and get this show on the road."

"Alright but if you want to come with and see the baby you need to pack some clothes early so you can rest before setting up the portal." Grace said as Danny nodded and zipped out of the room. She tried to fight it for a moment but she couldn't contain her shout. "And it's not _sewing_, it's called knitting!"

It had taken a couple of days, but Danny and Moira came back from the Collectors lair successful. Apparently a ragtag group had sacked the place and took off with the Orb, the power stone.

"It was bloody brilliant!" Moira barked.

"We saw the whole place blow!" Danny chimed in, "Frankly I'm surprised we found the dumb brain rock still intact!" She pulled out the Tesseract from her bag for them all to see. "We yanked it from right under his nose."

Grace was grinning as she saw the stone. "This is wonderful! We can return it and set some things straight; patch up our relationship with Asgard."

"Yes," Moira purred. "Ma bear waits for me to return!"

Danny rolled her eyes. "Okay...well let me get a good long sleep in and some breakfast. Then I'll set the portal and we can hit the snow."

Her sisters both looked excited at the idea. "Sleep tight little bugs." Grace said and shooed the other two to their beds. She made sure to grab her cell phone before heading to her room. Steve wasn't on duty right now.


	19. Chapter 19 Interlude in Alaska

It's been a hot minute since I posted anything for this! Sorry for the wait...I might go through and edit a little bit but everything is pretty set. Building up to Loki and Siggy meeting up again...and the epic fight we'd all expect from that :)

PS: funny thing since I 'gave' Siggy a baby- I'm actually 20 weeks pregnant right now. Crazy how time and changes roll along! I hope ya'll enjoy ^_^

Chapter 19

Siggy was typing away furiously at her desk, rocking her daughter lying nearby in a rocker with her foot. Her most recent reaction to all she'd been through for over a year, at the mercy of another person's will, was to write down all she remembered.

She heard happy little gurgling noise and looked down at her child. She never, ever expected to be a mother or that the baby's father would be a damned _god_ but she couldn't see it any other way now.

It really bothered her that she'd never actually _told_ him she was pregnant; despite the sad little breadcrumb she'd dangled before him.More than just that, she was extremely saddened that he wasn't there for any of it and it was her own fault.

Siggy missed him. She wished he'd been there their child's growth in her belly, especially the ultrasounds that she could get in between orders from Tivan. She wished he'd felt the baby kicking around in her uterus or been there for the birth. She could have used his sarcastic tone and cool hands on her head or belly instead of Moira's sharp Scottish brogue and Danny's frantic pacing. Things could have been worse though; she had Grace with her natural, calming aura and soft fingertips the entire labor.

Siggy even wished he'd seen her power shift and grow, much like her belly had. Her flame had become much more contained, although fits of anger would still light her up. Though what had once been a simple fire of her hair or down her arms if she was _really_ pissed, now her entire body turned to flame. She turned translucent and was like a living blaze of fire.

The second time she'd done so, she was seven months pregnant and her sisters awed at her, while noting later that her baby glowed blue and cool within her stomach. Even now Siggy was smiling at the thought and looked down at her girl in the bouncer.

_My cool little bean..._She thought and watched her black-haired daughter sleeping peacefully.

"Watch out bitches! Danila is _here!_" Screeched a familiar voice out in the yard, just outside the office window. "_Oh_ _shit!_ It's fucking cold!"

Siggy jerked to her feet instantly and her toe pushed the baby a little too hard in the bouncer, waking her up. "Oh shit! Hela!" She cooed and leaned down to pick the baby up. "Hela..._shhhhh_," she whispered and lifted her into her arms as she moved toward the window.

Outside was a bright pink and familiar portal just closing with her three mythically-bound sisters, standing knee deep in the snow. Without pause she threw open the windows wider and the cool air hit her and the baby. "Ha! Look what the cat dragged in? Namely Danny."

True to form, the sassy Valkyrie grinned. "Hey! My tits are gonna fall off! Is the door open?"

"It is," Siggy shouted down, "But the house is cold in here because me and baby like it that way. Go to my mom's house, just that one over there." She pointed and they all looked across the grove with a few giant trees between. "Mom'll give you some coffee until we get there. If you ask _nicely_, she'll give you some fresh bread and homemade jam."

"Oh snap son!"

Siggy ducked back into her home and shut the window, trying to keep any extra cold out of their home. It was difficult to understand her child's needs sometimes, because they both enjoyed the cold that permeated through the house due to the cold outside, but the baby clearly loved hot baths and the like, to include her mother's own heat. Siggy often raised her body temperature just to get a smile out of her daughter.

It was only one more reason she wanted to see Loki again; she needed answers about what the _hell_ he really was. As far as she'd seen, everyone on Asgard was pretty 'normal'. Maybe Thor could help out; if he even knew whether Loki was actually alive or not. She'd overlooked a lot from the God of Lies' transgressions; it had been easy to do while she lied beneath him, what with that silver tongue and all...

Shaking off her lingering memories and the dull ache of disused desire, Siggy dashed downstairs holding her baby girl close. Once she made it to the ground floor she threw on a big shawl to cover Hela from snowfall and darted out barefoot.

"Siggy!"

She was instantly caught up in a giant hug from Moira, who was still a foot taller than she. "Easy!" she barked and pushed off her half-sister.

"Fuck, sorry dove." Moira barked and slapped a hand to her mouth. "Shit! I should watch my damn mouth! Look at ye wee babe! She's so dear and innocent!"

Siggy smirked. "Not for long! And no super hugs for her just yet."

"Donna worry 'bout me." Moira said and followed Siggy toward her mother's house. "All o' us wanna see your babe, girl. The others even- who dinna give up their hair- wanna see this Valkyrie baby."

"It's crazy." Siggy snapped and cuddled her baby girl to her chest. "They didn't want anything to do with us before.

Moira frowned. "I know...but the fact is they stepped up, yea? We're free. If you're worried about their attention to baby Hela, Danila and Grace are workin' to hide her. Danny tries to shield this place with that telepathy mumbo jumbo and Grace has enlisted the help of her boy-o."

"Her what?"  
"Her man; Steve Rogers. He is gettin' help from someone within his connections. A techie or somethin'."

Siggy smiled. "Oh! Steve and Grace then? That's really sweet."

"Ach! Sickeningly so!" Moira barked as they made it to the porch overhang. "Ye'd think the two o them hadn't had sex before by the way they act."

They entered Siggy's mother's home and both were enveloped in warmth and comforting smells of a home. Grace looked relaxed as she was encouraged to kneed dough instantly by Franziska and even Danny had a soft smile while she stirred a large pot on the corner Dutch stove.

"Meine Enkelin!" Franziska barked as she spotted her granddaughter. Siggy easily gave over to the demand and her mother snatched the baby up quickly.

The women, sisters by circumstance and the magic that made them, quickly hit the rhythm that they'd formed over the year of their servitude. Within moments they were sharing secrets they'd gleaned in only weeks apart, gossip and of course, poking fun at Grace's new chaste-looking romance.

The eldest of them merely rolled her eyes and bid the others to set the large table in the dining room. Siggy noticed their great leader seemed to stare at the giant German clock every ten seconds or so.

"Antsy, Gracie?"

"What?" she said, eyes confused until suddenly there was a loud ringing throughout the house. "Oh my god...Can he...?"

Grace caught Siggy's eyes and instantly dropped the duty bestowed on her before she bolted to the front door, headless of the gaggle of hens that followed her.

Franzi had opened the door first, with baby Hela on her hip. Her accent had sent the Captain on guard instantly, though he chided himself immediately. "Ma'am." He said and lowered his head towards the tall blonde.

"You must be the good Captain Rogers I've heard so much about. Please! Do come into our home."

Steve was smiling by now and calmed by the motherly figure when suddenly he spotted the illusive object of his desire. "Grace." He choked out, awed by her appearance.

She was still the same leggy vixen as he'd last seen her years before, with lush, chestnut brown hair and the earthiest green eyes he'd ever seen. Though this time she was wearing a long sweater and jeans that hugged her fit, mile-long legs.

"Grace," he said her name again, his voice hung up on his desire for her.

She didn't respond and then suddenly she was running and he was on his back in the snow, bombarded by the weight of a woman. It was feeling that he'd never before known and, all at once, he decided it was the most amazing thing he'd ever felt.

He gripped her shoulders, like a drowning man as her little fangs dragged over the skin at his neck. Suddenly he couldn't contain his reaction; he bucked against her with his hips. Her little moan nearly did him in and he wrapped his arms around her. "You're going to be the death of me, Grace!" He whispered in her ear more harshly than he intended. She leaned back as much as she dared and grasped his face in her palms.

"I hope not, soldier. I've only just got you." The grin she received warmed her blood and she couldn't help shifting her hips over his again. She swore he responded naturally with a sharp thrust.

"Ach! Just look at 'em!"

In an instant the two of them jolted, though Grace stumbled a bit the Captain reached up to help her to her feet. Both were red in the face as Grace glared over at their audience. "Oh, go on!" She snapped and felt the Captain's warm body at her back. "You're just jealous, you bunch of hens." She said and reached for his arm before smiling sheepishly over her shoulder at him.

"Ach, donna remind us all!" Moira cried and turned from the others to go back inside. She pulled Siggy along after her and continued speaking. "I miss the man I left behind, though it was only his gaze I took and for one night alone." Her eyes were warm and sad. "I wait to see him still."

Siggy had a hard time putting heart into an eye roll. She understood the conviction of love, nearly an obsession, which developed from Moira so quickly to Volstagg- as it was very much like her love for Loki. Siggy didn't think twice when it came to him, but now she had to because she needed to think about their daughter as well.

"Moira," Siggy began, shoving down her problems. "We should consider our next move. Once everyone is settled here and Danila is rested we might want to take the Tesseract back to Asgard quickly."

Moira nodded. "Yes. That stone is sitting uneasy in the guest closet of your damn home."

"I'm fit to leave when you are. We have my mother, Danny and Grace here, as well as Steve now. I'd feel..._okay_ leaving Hela with them."

Moira smirked. "I know, young mam. You donna trust anyone with ye babe. But she isn't a newborn anymore and she has many you can trust with her care."

Siggy sighed and tried to look calm. "Yeah well, she hasn't met her father and he doesn't even know she exists. Fuck, I don't know how to contact him." She paced back and forth before throwing her hands in the air. "I was trying to tell him but Tivan fucked everything royally up!"

Moira smirked and tried to calm her. "Ach, well when you see him next just flash yer big mam tits and that'll get him to forgive ye right quick."

A sigh was her first answer. "Good talk, Moira."

"Anytime."


	20. Chapter 20 Scuffle in Snow

"Change of plan, girlie."

"And what's that?" Siggy cooed as she wiggled her daughter's toes, eliciting shrill giggles.

"Grace has ta go to New York and ye have ta go wit her."

At that, Siggy looked up from changing Hela. "And why am I going with? I already have something to do. _We_ have something to do. Does a cube-shaped glowy thing called the _Tesseract_ ring a bell?"

"Aye it does, but ye aren't going with. I'm taking Danila this time."

"What the hell, Moira?" Siggy had actually been hoping to catch a glimpse of Loki during the drop off, but at the same time she also dreaded a reunion. Something just told her it wouldn't be a very pleasant or very calm meeting. "Why?"

"Well the randy virgin Captain got a call and Grace wants to help her boy out. It's you that should go. Ya did work wit em, the Avengers lot."

Siggy sighed at the abrupt change but knew Moira was right. "Will Danila be okay going with you? I mean, big hulking Asgardians...what am I saying. Make sure you try and look after her? Get in, drop the cube and get the hell out."

"And to the pub." Moira murmured with a sly grin, "Ma Bear is gonna be there."

"You blow my mind, woman, and not in the best way."

"Aye, I know."

Not 12 hours later Sigrün was on the quinjet with the whole of the Avengers team and Grace, who was seated in the co-pilot seat beside Natasha. After having such a tearful goodbye to her baby Siggy was possessed into passing around her phone with snapshots of her daughter. Natasha was surprising interested and seemed to melt a bit. _Shocking_...Siggy thought with a smile.

"So who's the baby daddy?" Tony barked from the back of the jet as his suit wrapped around his body. "Was it a particularly broody god of Asgard?"

Everyone seemed to look over and glare at the man in unison. "What?"

Thor looked rather ill and Siggy frowned. She wished she could have said something to ease his grief. Wondered once more if she should, but it wasn't her secret to reveal.

"Yes, Tony. You're right. Nailed it on the head. Now shut up and look at my angelic daughter."

Tony actually just grinned and took the offered phone. "Well she is damn adorable."

Siggy couldn't help but grin back despite trying to maintain a glare. "Why thank you." She said, just as a large, warm hand set over her shoulder.

"Lady Siggy," Thor said, "My brother...my late brother..."

Siggy turned to stare up at him as she waited for him to finish asking what she knew he was going to ask.

"Is your daughter Loki's child? You and he must have...she must have been conceived right before he died."

"Thor..." she said quietly. "Don't do this to yourself. Hela is a gift. She is Loki's daughter and your niece."

"Niece." He said and the cloud of grief seemed to pass over his face in an instant. "_My_ niece! HA!" he boomed and laid both his large heavy hands over her shoulders with a clap. She winced, waiting for the inevitable pain to bloom, but she'd forgotten that she was more like the Asgardian with her transformation to a full-on Valkyrie. It felt like a normal person had just clamped their hands on her, not the god of friggin' thunder.

"Hell yeah, Uncle Thor."

"_Uncle!_"

His excited reaction was infectious and Siggy felt like it might be a good day after all as Natasha interrupted over the com. They were getting near the drop point next to Sokovia.

All Siggy really knew about what they were doing was that they were after the staff the Loki wielded during the battle of New York. Some Hydra nutcase was using it and none of them wanted that relic in enemy hands.

Siggy pulled on the neck of her tight suit that Tasha had let her borrow. Unfortunately her boobs made it a tight fit, but other than that she and Romanoff we similar in size. Not to mention the suit had an armor factor. _Better safe than sorry.._.

Banner looked a bit nervous in the corner while everyone gathered near the exit, but he was benched until they needed him. She hoped for his sake he would be left out of this skirmish.

Grace hovered nearby, but she probably wouldn't be involved in the fight. There was little vegetation and her gift was of the earth. _With a bit of a rumble factor_, Siggy smirked. She'd never seen Grace stressed enough to cause an earthquake or create a sinkhole. _But one day..._

"So Grace, why exactly are we here." She said quietly as she neared her sister-by-circumstance.

The elder female barely hid her blush, but she recovered. "Steve asked for our help. He didn't want to place either of us in danger, but he knows we can handle ourselves and they need to get that scepter out of enemy hands."

"So this isn't just a chance to get behind _that_ view?"

Grace didn't need to follow Sigrün's finger to know she was pointing at the Captain's derrière, nor did she need to see it to figure out why the woman had a shit-eating grin. "I'm not granting that a reply."

"You kinda just did." Siggy said as the jet touched down. "Anyway, I like the suit Tasha found for you. You're a bit bustier than Hill, though, and your ass is screaming to get free. I'm sure the Cap got an eyeful."

"Sigrün!"

"Stay safe, Grace!" She barked as she bolted past the others as the doors opened. She had to elbow Thor who was a bit excited to go to a fight as well, and she noted she took some wind out of him.

"Eager for battle I see!" He said with a big, hearty laugh and shoved Barton playfully. "Let us do battle!"

Grace watched the others file out to head for a fight while Steve remained behind a moment to pat Banner's back and reassure him not to jump in unless he needed to. "Just stay here with Grace." He said and turned to her. It never failed to give her some butterflies.

"You better get after them." She said and nodded to his bike. "Wheels or not."

"I think they could use a head start. Just a small one." He said and reached up to catch her chin. "I have a fine woman seeing me off." God did he turn her to mush.

"I suppose you do." Grace said and tipped onto her toes to give him a deep kiss that left them both a little breathless.

"Wow." He said and she smiled. "I'll going off to battle with you behind me more often."

"Uh huh, don't get used to it." She said and watched him hop onto the bike. With a wink her way, he was off and she could hear the banter of the team over the console with Banner listening in carefully across from her.

Just as she was about to step forward and say something to the Doctor, she felt the buzz of Danila's mental link in the back of her mind.

_Hey Grace, there's a guy here in Asgard who might be after Siggy. Like, we don't know what he's up too but he's got black hair and he's uber tall as hell. Also he looks a little crazy. Should probably warn Siggy._

Grace frowned. _Did he say anything else?_

_Well, Moira and I were dropping off the cube and he just appears behind us in the creepy treasure room. He said "I knew someone was hiding Sigrün's location from me of late." And then Moira barked at him of course. He ignored her. Said, "I know it was you who hid her."_

_Oh my god..._

_Yeah, then he goes "Nothing is going to get in my way. Know this." _Danila deepened her voice, _Then he went _poof_ and left us. What kind of friggin' maniac warns people he's going to find someone?_

_He wants her to know...he wants her scared._

"Damn it." Grace murmured as she lifted her hand to her head. When she severed the link between herself and Danila she looked up and saw Banner looking up at her with fear, his eyes glowing in a way that was altogether inhuman. She heard chaos over the com and knew something was going down in the fight with the Avengers. His skin began turning a green hue and she felt her blood run cold. "Oh shit..." she whispered and backed away slowly.

Sigrün was having the time of her life. Fighting along side her Avenger-ing friends was like a soothing balm, in that she could be herself completely, just as she was with her Valkyrie sisters. It was also incredibly invigorating to be part of the ass-kicking crew of the avenging kind rather than just being the girl-who-gave-up-some-hair-that-one-time.

She was back to back with Barton at the moment, with a jeep coming their way. Concentrating, she conjured a sizable fireball and hurled it in a way that any softball pro would approve. The molten substance exploded over the windshield and melted the glass, sending splatters of liquid flame in an arc. The poor idiots in the jeep who didn't get killed right on had to leap out into the snow, trying desperately to douse themselves.

Siggy heard Tony over their connected mic yelling, "Stop, drop and roll!" She began laughing and Barton snickered nearby as he notched an arrow, readying to blow a bunker. He stretched the bowstring taunt and turned out of cover, loosening his grip on the arrow.

When nothing went _kablooie_, Sigrün snapped her head back and met his eyes. "The piss?"

Snow crunching behind Siggy had her turn around, her flames already leaping around her body as she eyed a lone enemy hydra solider. Behind her she heard Barton getting knocked to the ground. With a hiss she glared at the bastard in front of her and back to make sure her teammate was good. He just looked a bit embarrassed on his back before he nodded at her and leapt to his feet.

Satisfied that the man was fine, Siggy turn her gaze back to the soldier and found herself looking at Loki. She nearly choked.

"Sigrün." He said with a growl and took a step forward.

_He'll take you away from here..._her mind told her. She could _not_ be taken from this plane. She had a baby to return to.

"Loki." She whispered as she took a step back, her voice surprisingly strong for how conflicted her emotions were. "Why are you here?"

"What? No dramatic leap into my arms?" he said and threw them out wide. As badly as she wanted to fly into his embrace, she would never take that bait.

The sound of a blast nearby had her crouch and look back. "Clint!" She snapped her head back in time to see Loki taking huge steps to get at her position. "No!" Siggy barked and threw up her flames. "I can't go with you!"

Without hesitating even an instant he stepped through her fire, shocking her. No one had touched her or even got near her when she was at full flame. Not since him. And she'd only gotten more efficient with it. He had to be feeling the burn.

Yet Loki seemed undeterred by the searing heat as he snatched her arms in an iron grip, dragging her to her feet and bringing her face close to his own. She did notice the skin of his hand turned blue with delicate looking scales. She snapped her gaze to him when he spoke again.

"You no longer care for me, I see." He said bitterly and sneered at her in a way that made her heart hurt. "Perhaps you asked your Valkyrie sibling to hid your location from me."

"What?" She sputtered, blue skin forgotten. "That's not true." She took an instant to look back at Barton who was bleeding on the ground and looking dazed. "Let me go, Loki. Let go!" she snapped and raised her temperature to warn him off.

He didn't even flinch. "Let go of my flighty quarry?" he hissed and dragged her even closer to his body. "I think not." Siggy couldn't stop her blush at his closeness. The innate chill of his skin seeped through his clothing to her own infernally heated skin. It was bliss; an instant of pure bliss.

She took a moment to meet his eyes and found them full of emotions that battled her own. Unable to endure his gaze long, she closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself. Then she lifted her lower body with ease, connecting her feet with his chest, before she extended her legs and slammed him to the ground with a powerful force.

Loki offered a fleeting look of shock at having been thrown back into the snow as she scrambled to her feet and backed up. Siggy felt like snapping some smartass quip but she knew to do so would only entice his anger and wouldn't bode well for her if she wanted to stay on this plane.

With concentration she roared to full liquid-flame, her body going transparent as she transcended human form to fire. "I can't let you take me, Loki." She said and watched him get to his feet slowly, methodically. It was odd seeing him in cold-weather military fatigues and in another life she'd find him sexy as hell. Now, however, he looked murderous. "You don't know everything." She finished.

"Siggy!" She heard from behind and felt the ground suddenly quake beneath her feet. Without warning, the earth cracked and split between herself and Loki. An instant later they were separated by a chasm at least ten feet wide.

"Jesus, Grace!" Siggy snapped and caught the rage in Loki's eyes before she threw a quick glance to the women rushing toward her. "Warning next time."

"It's him isn't it?" Grace said, out of breath and throwing looks from where she came from. "He told Danila he was coming for you."

"Yeah, well apparently she's been blocking my location." Siggy said with grit as she chanced a glance back a Loki whose sneer could not be more cold toward them.

"Well she is telkenetic..." Grace said and looked back again at the forest behind them. "We need to move. Lullaby." She said pointedly.

Understanding the kind of danger they might be in, Siggy nodded and looked back at Loki. "You should go. Thor is here and unless you want blow your 'I'm dead' cover you need to get the hell out of here."

"I will come for you again, Sigrün. You won't be expecting me." He snarled and took measured steps back, never looking away from her. His green eyes looked poisonous with his anger and it worried her that she'd never see warmth there ever again. "Your sisters won't protect you next time. I will get the truth from you and know why you betrayed me."

She took a breath to offer some kind of weak protest, but he disappeared from her sight. Knowing him, he wasn't far off. She'd have to watch what was said until she was safe in the jet or near the others, but her emotions were welling up. As well as tears.

"Fuck!" she snapped and grabbed her head in her hands. Her little white lie to hid her daughter until she could properly explain has turned into a stony, bleak wall that had wedged itself between herself and her lover. She doubted they'd ever reconcile at this point. And if he found out the truth without preparation or an explanation? He just might kill her.

Grace's soft hands gripped her shoulders. "We have to go. Banner changed and I lost him to the lure of gunfire, but I think things are winding down."

"Barton was hit." Siggy snapped and turned around to rush toward him. He was breathing harshly but seemed coherent enough. God she felt bad for forgetting about him.

"Was that who I thought it was?" Clint quipped suddenly, hissing in a breath an instant later as Grace inspected his wound.

"Yes." Siggy said plainly. "Please, don't say a thing. Thor will not be too forgiving..."

"Yeah I'm pretty mortal." Barton said as Natasha finally joined them carrying a broken-down aluminum stretcher. "I'd rather not get involved in a beef between two crazy Asgardians."

"Crazy is right." Natasha said as she caught the last of his scentence. "What the hell are you on about Barton? Are you concussive?"

"Don't think so? Can I get some food or something? Ramen." He muttered, as Natasha groused at him.

"Oh shut up. Lets get you on the jet."

Siggy took a mental sigh of relief. He'd thrown Natasha off scent but that didn't mean she wouldn't get a follow up question on what Clint was talking about.

Grace helped snap the stretcher to full size and together the three of them lifted the man onto it. Siggy motioned that she'd take one end while Grace took the other and the two lifted him with ease as Natasha followed next to it.

Siggy sent one last glance over her shoulder around the area, but she didn't get a hint of Loki's presence. She'd always hated how he could disappear at will but she had never been left in fear of him. She'd trusted him. But now? She was terrified...for more than herself.

If you enjoyed this drop a comment for me ^_^ didn't expect to go this way and I'm not sure where it's going to go...but Siggy is definitely in some trouble.


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